Many people are reluctant to undergo treatments for sight conditions, often because they are unsure of its benefits or they simply don’t like the idea of interference. However, undergoing treatment could make a huge difference to a patient’s quality of life.
Let’s take keratoconus as an example, which is a condition affecting the cornea. Most commonly, the condition causes the cornea to bulge into a cone shape, which causes myopia and irregular astigmatisms – and it isn’t hard to guess how this might have an impact on your eyesight.
When it initially starts to develop, keratoconus can be quite hard to detect. Often, it will manifest in the form of myopia (short sight) and/or astigmatism, but the telltale cone shape of the cornea will not be apparent straight away. However, the condition usually starts to develop in puberty and is associated with other disorders such as pre-existing eye conditions, eczema, Down Syndrome and eye trauma (caused by excessive eye rubbing, for instance).
The good news is that there is now a good range of treatments available for keratoconus and AVC is skilled in utilising the latest technologies to provide patients with the best possible results. Some of the best keratoconus treatments include:
C3R. This is the short name for corneal collagen cross-linking, which is derived from a previous medical process designed to revive sagging skin. Now, it is used to slow the progression of keratoconus, which can help prevent the need for a transplantation of the cornea. It’s important to note that it’s not a cure, but it can make a significant difference to how the disease progresses.
INTACS. This is a procedure used in keratoconus treatment where small implants are placed inside the cornea. The purpose of this is to reduce the cone shape that is synonymous with the condition, effectively reshaping the cornea with the aim of improving a patient’s vision. The implant is made out of poly methyl methacrylate (often used in contact lenses). The reversible nature of the procedure and its good success rate makes this a popular form of keratoconus treatment for many.
The above treatments can either be used separately or in conjunction with each other; if you are suitable for the treatments, your AVC surgeon will take you through your options to make sure you’re fully informed and that you get the treatment that is best suited to you.
Overall, while curing keratoconus is not an option, the effects of the condition can be managed and lessened quite considerably. When you think about the extent of the impact it can have on your eyesight – and therefore your quality of life – it certainly makes sense to consider all your options when it comes to treatment. Technology can’t solve all of our problems, but it can help them dramatically and keratoconus treatment is certainly a good example of that.
