Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a potentially debilitating condition in which chronic thinning of the cornea can lead to severely distorted vision.
Patients with moderate to severe keratoconus can no longer see clearly with eyeglasses and standard soft contact lenses.
Thankfully, new technologies can not only help patients with keratoconus to see clearly, but also stop keratoconus from progressing.
Progressive Eye Care in South Jordan helps keratoconus patients from across Utah to stabilize and maximize their vision. We happly serve the South Jordan, Sandy, Draper, and northern Utah County area.
What is Keratoconus?
"KERATO" = CORNEA / "CONUS" = A CONE SHAPE
Keratoconus is a condition in which the clear tissue on the front of the eye (the cornea) thins and bulges outward into a cone shape.
The causes of keratoconus may include a genetic weakness of the bonds between the collagen layers of the cornea, but are not fully understood. Frequent eye rubbing is often reported by patients with keratoconus.
Symptoms of keratcoconus first appear during the late teens or early twenties and include blurred vision and sensitivity to light.
Vision can be corrected with glasses and contact lenses in the early stage of keratoconus. Severe cases may require use of rigid contact lenses, scleral contact lenses, or even cornea transplant.
At Progressive Eye Care in South Jordan, UT, our team of optometry and ophthalmology providers are experts at diagnosing and managing keratoconus.
Do You Have Keratoconus?
REQUEST A CORNEAL CROSSLINKING CONSULTATION
What is Corneal Crosslinking?
Corneal Crosslinking (CXL) is the New Standard of Care for Keratoconus
Corneal Crosslinking (CXL) is the only treatment known to stop keratoconus from getting worse.
In corneal crosslinking, doctors use riboflavin eye drops and ultraviolet (UV) light from a special device to make the tissues in your cornea stronger.
CXL is called “cross-linking” because it adds bonds betwen the collagen fibers in your cornea to make the cornea stronger and more stable.
Is Keratoconus Bad?
Without treatment with corneal crosslinking, as corneal thinning progresses, so does the visual distortion it causes.
In early keratoconus, patients can still use eyeglasses. As keratoconus progresses, vision can no longer be adequately corrected with glasses or soft contacts.
Special contact lenses called scleral lenses or corneal gas-permeable contacts can become the only option for restoring clear vision in advanced cases of keratoconus.
Severe cases of keratoconus may require a corneal transplant.
What Happens If I Don't Do Crosslinking?
If you have keratoconus, without corneal crosslinking, your vison is likely to get worse over time.
Your vison could eventually become too blurry to be corrected with standard glasses and contacts.
While CXL will not return the cornea to it’s original shape before keratoconus, the CXL procedure can preserve and enhance the vision you have now.
CXL should be preformed as early as possible before keratoconus progresses and causes further vision loss.
In some cases of advanced keratoconus, CXL is no longer indicated.
What Happens If I Don't Do Crosslinking?
If you have keratoconus, without corneal crosslinking, your vison is likely to get worse over time.
Your vison could eventually become too blurry to be corrected with standard glasses and contacts.
While CXL will not return the cornea to it’s original shape before keratoconus, the CXL procedure can preserve and enhance the vision you have now.
CXL should be preformed as early as possible before keratoconus progresses and causes further vision loss.
In some cases of advanced keratoconus, CXL is no longer indicated.
With Keratoconus, Will I Eventually Need a Corneal Transplant?
Corneal Crosslinking (CXL) can stop the progression of keratoconus, preventing the need for a corneal transplant in most patients, especially when performed early.
Corneal transplants are still performed for cases of keratoconus which have grown too advanced to be managed with contact lenses.
Our team of doctors can advise you if a consult with a transplant specialist is recommended.
Important Tips:
Frequent EYE RUBBING has been shown to be common among people with keratoconus.
If you have keratoconus, take special care to break the habit of frequently rubbing your eyes.
Keratoconus can also run in families. If you have keratoconus, be sure your children and close family members have regular comprehensive eye exams.
How Does Corneal Cross-Linking Work?
Consultation
First, we confirm the presence of keratoconus by performing a careful measurement of your refraction, mapping your corneas with a corneal topographer, and obtaining a thickness map.
These tests allow us to establish a baseline of your visual clarity, identify distortions of the cornea and detect corneal thinning.
Treatment
After numbing your eye, riboflavin eye drops are placed on the eye over a period of time to saturate the cornea.
Once enough riboflavin has penetrated the cornea, a UV light shines on the cornea for enough time to produce stronger bonds or”cross links” between the collagen fibers in the cornea.
Follow-Up
All follow up appointments after CXL are included in the cost of the procedure. Patients typically follow up 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months, and as needed after that.
CXL can be repeated at no additional charge if further progression is detected.
What is Epi-On and Epi-Off?
Corneal Cross-LInking was originally developed as an “Epi-Off” procedure where the top layer of the cornea (epithelium) was removed to allow riboflavin to penetrate the cornea. However, this procedure has increased post-operative discomfort and greater risk of complications.
Since then, newer formulations of the riboflavin have been developed which absorb into the cornea without removing the epithelium. Leaving the epithelium intact makes “Epi-On” Cross-Linking is a safer procedure with a lower risk profile and faster recovery.
How Much Does CXL Cost?
Our Epi-On Corneal Cross-Linking treatment programcosts $2,200 per eye and includes the procedure, the cost of materials, and all follow up for a year. If in the unlikely case your keratoconus continues to progress, CXL will be repeated at no additional cost. Payment plans are available.
Is Corneal Crosslinking Covered by Insurance?
Insurance does not contribute to epi-on corneal crosslinking at this time.
If I have Cross-Linking, Will I Still Need Glasses or Contacts?
Most patients with keratoconus will still need help to see clearly after crosslinking.
Eyeglasses
If you have early keratoconus that still allows you to see well with with eyeglasses, CXL will preserve the vison you have and may even enhance your visual clarity.
If your keratoconus has advance enough before CXL to make it hard to see with eyeglasses, CXL can improve your vision to a degree, but may not resore your ability to see clearly with eyeglasses.
For this reason, we encourage CXL as early as possible after keratoconus is detected.
Eyeglasses
If you have early keratoconus that still allows you to see well with with eyeglasses, CXL will preserve the vison you have and may even enhance your visual clarity.
If your keratoconus has advance enough before CXL to make it hard to see with eyeglasses, CXL can improve your vision to a degree, but may not resore your ability to see clearly with eyeglasses.
For this reason, we encourage CXL as early as possible after keratoconus is detected.
Soft Contact Lenses
If your keratoconus has not progressed significantly, daytime soft contact lenses can still be used to help you see clearly.
Patients with early keratoconus should have crosslinking (CXL) as early as possible, while your vison is still easily correctible with glasses or contacts.
Once keratoconus begins to distort vision significantly, soft contacts may no longer provide adequate clarity.
Rigid Contact Lenses
Rigid contact lenses have been one of our most important tools for providing crisp, clear vision for patients with keratoconus.
Modern designs known as scleral contacts have improved comfort and excellent clarity for most patients with more advanced levels of visual distortion from keratoconus.
Rigid contact lenses remain an important tool for helping patients with keratoconus.
For some patients, Ortho-K lenses can be used off-label to correct vision in patients with keratoconus.
Rigid Contact Lenses
Rigid contact lenses have been one of our most important tools for providing crisp, clear vision for patients with keratoconus.
Modern designs known as scleral contacts have improved comfort and excellent clarity for most patients with more advanced levels of visual distortion from keratoconus.
Rigid contact lenses remain an important tool for helping patients with keratoconus.
For some patients, Ortho-K lenses can be used off-label to correct vision in patients with keratoconus.
Can I Vision Correction Surgery After
Corneal Crosslinking?
Our honest answer: It depends who you ask.
Because Lasik or PRK surgery thins the cornea to correct the vision, many surgeons are reluctant to perform Lasik or PRK in anyone with keratoconus.
However, other surgeons regularly perform laser surgery or other procedures in patients who have had corneal crosslinking and demonstrated stable corneas.
Each individual is different. We are happy to discuss all options with you when you come in for your consultation.
Each Person is Unique
CUSTOMIZED KERATOCONUS MANAGEMENT
At Progressive Eye Care we realize that we treat the whole person. We take the time to craft the best treatmenT plan for each individual.
Claudia Alvarez
I love the attention here, the team is very nice and professional. My son got contacts and he had some problems putting his contacts on, and the doctor met us at night. Very nice of him. So kind and patient. Thank you.
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Progressive Eye Care
Dr. Jeffrey Broadhead, OD and his team of optometry and ophthalmology providers offer comprehensive treatments to improve the vision of patients from our offices in South Jordan, UT. Our doctors are members of professional associations, including:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Optometric Association
American Board of Ophthalmology
Utah Optometric Association
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
American Academy of Orthokeratology & Myopia Control
To schedule an appointment at our South Jordan optometry practice, you can contact us online or give us a call at (801) 676-2020.
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South Jordan Office
- 10654 S River Heights Dr Ste 110 South Jordan, UT 84095