Do You Have Keratoconus? There Are 10 Different Treatment Options Available

10 Common Treatments

The following interventions are commonly used to treat keratoconus.

1. Standard eyeglasses: During the early stages, prescription glasses are often sufficient.
2. Standard soft lenses: Many patients with moderate keratoconus are able to wear comfortable soft contacts until the condition advances.
3. Hard lenses: These types are less comfortable than the former, but provide good durability and are effective in improving eyesight.
4. Hybrid/gas permeable lenses: Hybrid lenses have a blended function, combining the comfort of soft lenses with added gas permeability.  Other gas permeable types also enable the flow of oxygen to the eye.
5. “Piggy-backing” contacts: A method of correcting vision, where one contact is placed on top of another in a “piggy-back” fashion..
6. Scleral lenses: These may become necessary with advanced cases, when corneal damage requires lenses which sit on the sclera. Often used following transplants when corneal scarring prevents the use of standard contacts.
7. Cross-linking: This out-patient procedure involves riboflavin drops and UV light treatment to prevent further alterations to the eye’s shape. Severe changes in corneal shape or vision loss, will eventually render this an ineffective measure.
8. Intacs: A procedure where semi-circular rings are inserted to flatten the cornea and reduce the cone shape.
9. Keratoplasty: A surgical method of reshaping the cornea using radio waves.
10. Corneal transplants: In advanced cases, this surgery may be required to replace damaged tissue with healthy donor tissue. Scleral lenses may be necessary following surgery due to scarring and damage.