Skip to content

Keratoconus Eye Disease & Surgery

Definition     Causes     Symptoms     Signs     Pathology     Diagnosis     Treatment     CXL     Intacs     DALK                 Cornea Transplant     Insurance

We understand how Keratoconus can make your life miserable. We are here to halt keratoconus to improve your lifestyle. We care!

“Keratoconus Treatment Options Expert, Rajesh Khanna, MD personally meets you and understands your difficulties with your vision. Trust the Keratoconus treatment specialist, Dr. Khanna, to design a customized treatment plan which will be the best for you.

Keratoconus eye disease is a corneal disorder where the cornea is structurally weak, unable to withstand the internal pressure from the eye and bulges forwards.

Why do I have Keratoconus Eye Disease?

  1. Genetic
  2. Allergic
  3. Eye Rubbing
  4. Combination of factors

Symptoms

  1. Rubbing eyes
  2. Fluctuating vision
  3. Frequent change of glasses prescriptions
  4. Red eyes
  5. Blurry vision
  6. Increasing astigmatism
  7. Headaches
  8. Difficulty driving at night
  9. Learning disability
  10. Intolerance to contact lenses

Diagnostic Tests for Keratoconus

Pachymetry maps

Color corneal topography

Ocular coherence tomography

Manifest and cycloplegic refractions

Slit Lamp exam of cornea and lens

Fundus exam

Treatment Plans and Keratoconus Management

Dr. Khanna analyzes the various specialized tests. He then custom designs a treatment plan for you which may include Intacs (corneal ring segments), FDA approved Corneal Cross Linking (CXL),  Intraocular Implantable Lenses, Laser Astigmatism correction (in selected few) or even DSEK/Corneal Transplants. This treatment plan is based on the recommendations of The Roundtable of Global Keratoconus Experts on Treatment of Keratoconus.

Our helpful staff will also check to see if your medical insurance will contribute towards the treatment of your Keratoconus disease. Affordable, no interest payments over 36 months will help you afford the best treatment options with a Keratoconus treatment master.

Call  310-896-4944 to learn more or read on about the latest in Keratoconus treatment and see how people have benefited from the services of Keratoconus author and app creator,  Dr. Rajesh Khanna. Download the #1 app on Keratoconus treatment for FREE!

Keratoconus Cross Linking

Keratoconus Treatment depends on your age and the state of the disease. 

Color Corneal Topography or “Shape Map”, Ocular Coherence Tomography and Pachymetry or “Thickness Map” all help diagnose Keratoconus.

See that beautiful color map above? That’s just one of the diagnostic tools used to detect Keratoconus. The red color is an indication of a protrusion of the cornea. The red colored area means the cornea is very steep or highly curved and pushed forward.

When you visit a doctor for eye glasses they may not perform these advanced tests. You may be diagnosed with only an astigmatism. The Best Keratoconus Doctors recommend that all kids around puberty should have a color map exam, especially if there is high astigmatism or frequent change of glasses.

If you have a family history of Keratoconus the top experts say you should have these exams to screen for Keratoconus eye disease. If you are a Keratoconus sufferer, then your immediate family (mom, dad, brothers and sisters) should undergo tests to detect this corneal disease.

Coming back to your struggle with vision. Glasses don’t work. Contact lenses are very expensive. Every year you have to spend more and more money on them. The rubbing of your contact lenses against your cornea causes irritation, redness and sometimes pain.  Let’s explore the modern treatment for Keratoconus. Let’s learn which treatment may improve your vision and also cure the disease.

Keratoconus Expert Explains Cornea Collagen Cross Linking (CXL) for Keratoconus

  • Cross linking of the cornea should be offered to all patients detected with Keratoconus. The sooner the progression of Keratoconus is halted, the better for the patient. CXL is more effective in the treatment of teenagers. After 45 years of age the effectiveness is less.
  • CXL can be performed as early as 10 years of age. Parents are often worried about the procedure being done on their young children. It is fruitful to understand that cross linking of a Keratoconus cornea can SAVE THE VISION.
  • A Keratoconus specialist performs CCC (c3) or Corneal Collagen Cross linking (CXL). An expert in Keratoconus management understands the safety of the cornea and eye is paramount.

Epithelium Off Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL) Treatment for Keratoconus – The superior way to cure Keratoconus.

Indications for Epithelium Off Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL) 

  1. Keratoconus in children above age 12 years
  2. Progressive Keratoconus in adults with an increase in steepness of the cornea more than 1 Dioptre.
  3. Accelerated thinning of the cornea
  4. Post Lasik bulging of the cornea

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A cornea thinner than 400 um. For thinner corneas see – Hyptotonic Riboflavin Collagen Cross Linking
  • K readings greater than 60 D
  • Central corneal scarring

Procedure of Epithelium Off Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL) 

  • Anesthetic eye drops instilled
  • Epithelium removed
  • Riboflavin eye drops introduced
  • Penetration of riboflavin into the eye confirmed
  • UV-A Radiation delivered
  • Therapeutic bandage lens applied

Advantages of Epithelium Off CXL

  • Uniform penetration
  • Stronger effect than epithelium on CXL
  • Line of demarcation on ocular coherence tomography shows deeper uniform effect

Please note – In the United States, the FDA has approved Epithelium Off Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL) Treatment for Keratoconus. This write up is for educational purposes only. It should serve as a basis for discussion with your Keratoconus doctor. Various studies differ in the concentration of Riboflavin, intensity and exact duration of UV radiation application. Researchers are looking into chromatophores other than Riboflavin, and varying wavelength of UV light.

Modern Advanced Treatment of Keratoconus

Intacs corneal ring segments help decrease the asymmetric bulge of the cornea. These PMMA plastic segments help stretch the cornea. Hmm, a little difficult to comprehend?

Lets say we played a tough game of tennis. After your game you take off your sweaty shirt and out it into the washer and dryer. You’re tired, so forgot to take it out of the dryer and fold it so the next morning it is wrinkled. The wrinkles are elevations of the shirt. It’s as if the shirt is bulging in that area. We use an iron to stretch the wrinkles and the elevations are history. Intacs also stretch the wrinkled center of the cornea. Keratoconus experts can sometimes see these wrinkles on slit lamp examination.

Intacs ring segments can be done at any age. If you are a teenager reading this, you may be a candidate. What if you are someone in their fifties? Intacs for Keratoconus treatment is still a good choice. Intacs placement can also be combined with corneal collagen cross linking. It has been successfully done in conjugation with Phakic Intraocular Collamer Lens (ICL) or Presbyopic Implant in Eye (PIE).

The Keratoconus Treatment App is for you!

Trust us to help in your journey to a better vision. Consider us your friend. This app will be your trustworthy guide.

The gentleman in the video below drove from Sacramento. Others have flown in from Germany, Mexico and India. 

Keratoconus Eye Disease- Intacs Implants Improve Vision

Keratoconus Intacs implants have helped numerous people in Los Angeles suffering from Keratoconus. Keratoconus, myopia and astigmatism cause patients to suffer from distorted vision. Intacs can improve vision for patients with any of these conditions.

Intacs are tiny, clear, plastic inserts – shaped like semi-circular rings – that can be implanted within your cornea to correct refractive errors, including myopia and astigmatism. Intacs are also commonly used to improve the vision of people suffering from Keratoconus.

Keratoconus — Intacs Implants for Treatment of Keratoconus

If you have Keratoconus, you are probably all too familiar with the frustration of having to change your prescription almost every time you visit your eye doctor. On top of this, contacts and eyeglasses may not be able to correct your vision forever.

Keratoconus Intact implants correct vision by flattening and reinforcing the corneal tissue of your eyes. Dr. Khanna can perform this FDA approved treatment within 10 short minutes. On average, Intacs improve vision two lines or more on a vision chart. If your Keratoconus continues to progress, your Intacs can be removed and replaced with different sized Intacs to further stabilize your vision.

Intacs for Myopia and Astigmatism

Myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism are two of the most common eye disorders, often occurring together. If you have mild myopia and/or astigmatism, Intacs can successfully correct your vision, solving the need for glasses and contact lenses.

During the Intacs procedure, Dr. Khanna will make two very small tunnels in the corneal tissue, just outside of the central vision zone. The Intacs will be inserted inside of the tunnels to correct the shape of your cornea. Depending on the level of correction needed, thicker or thinner Intacs can be implanted.

Intacs are a simple, transformative innovation that can grant clear vision to patients with Keratoconus, myopia, or astigmatism.