This story is about losing vision in Keratoconus with the use of Intacs.
Keratoconus: A condition that impacts vision and quality of life.
Keratoconus is a relatively uncommon yet significant eye disorder that can dramatically affect an individual’s vision and quality of life.
At its core, keratoconus is a progressive eye disorder that causes the cornea—the clear, dome-shaped front surface of the eye—to thin and bulge into a cone-like shape. This structural change distorts the way light enters the eye, leading to distorted and blurry vision. While the exact cause remains uncertain, genetic predisposition and environmental factors are believed to play a role.
Early symptoms of keratoconus can often be mistaken for common vision problems, such as nearsightedness or astigmatism. As the condition progresses, individuals may experience increased sensitivity to light, glare, and difficulty with night vision. Regular eye exams are crucial for early detection.
The patient with Intacs
This patient came in to see me. She was frantic.
I saw her 15 years ago and advised her to not rub her eyes. Vision was correctable with glasses.
2 years ago, she wanted to get rid of her glasses, and was referred for “Intacs” and Laser vision correction.
She was talked into bilateral simultaneous Intacs followed by laser vision correction.
She is losing vision in Keratoconus.
Vision has dropped to 6l24 one eye, and 6l15 in the other.
She can no longer drive, and feels like a fraud at work because she can’t do anything.
What does she want, she wants her vision back.
Intracorneal rings are pushed as a treatment for keratoconus, but my experience is they offer little benefit at best, and from there it is a steep slope into disaster.
I call them prosthetic leggo…..you can build stuff with it but it does absolutely nothing.
Just remind your patients DON’T RUB YOUR EYES!
This can also lead to losing your vision in Keratoconus.
More information available at www.cornealtransplant.com.au
Need to book an appointment? Click here