Keratoconus and its treatment: By stage, correction and surgery

It is best to start treatment as soon as possible. Of course, early diagnosis contributes to this.

Subsequently, the therapy depends on its stage.

With regard to treatment, 4 stages are described:

stage - treatment with the help of corrective aids
- glasses
- hard or soft contact lenses
  - Escler's hard scleral lenses - adjust the irregularity of the lens
- lens strengthening by Corneal Cross-linking CXL (or CCL) method in the indication
  - riboflavin dripping and UV irradiation
stage - implantation of corneal intrastromal rings - ICRS
stage - also ICRS
stage - when corneal transplantation is indicated

The treatment method is also the implantation of corneal rings - kerarings. The role of keraring is to slow the progression, and therefore of corneal transplantation.

The rings adjust the curvature of the cornea, stabilize it and improve visual acuity. They can be implanted with the help of a femtolaser. This method speeds up the procedure itself and is safe.

These treatment methods are, at the time of writing, only partially covered by health insurance companies.

Corneal transplantation is indicated at the most advanced stage. And in this case, it depends on the degree of corneal damage. A complete corneal transplant is not always required.

Keratoplasty, as transplantation is otherwise called, can take two forms. The first is a partial transplant, also referred to as lamellar.

Partial transplantation is chosen according to the site of corneal damage. In this case, it is a replacement of the anterior part - outer or posterior part - the inner part of the cornea.

You ask: What is the length of the procedure? On average 15 minutes.

Full-thickness transplantation is referred to as perforating PKP. It is a traditional method of doing keratoplasty in the entire thickness of the cornea.

And what about the length of this type of operation? With this method, the procedure is extended to approximately 90 minutes.

Another issue could be the form of anesthesia. Procedures can be under local or general anesthesia.

Of course, accurate information is individual and dependent on a thorough preoperative examination.

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Bc. Lukáš Tóth

Healthcare worker

The secondary medical school in Nitra gave me the basis for my career in the field of health and diseases. Thanks to it, I worked for 2 years in the traumatology clinic and outpatient clinic at the Nitra Hospital. Since 2006 I was employed in the emergency medical service, where I stayed until 2017. I completed my bachelor's degree at the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra in the field of emergency health care. The bachelor's degree allowed me to continue my mission as a paramedic. In the meantime, I got a job at the emergency line 155. I have been working in pre-hospital health care until today. I had an interest in people, health and even diseases in my childhood, which gave me the prerequisite to pursue this topic in adulthood. Studying and acquiring new information in practice provided me with a great basis for writing professional texts, in the form of articles that can be understood by ordinary people. Thus, my interest in the Health Portal has a solid foundation in years of practice and personal interest. Similarly, I am also interested in healthy eating, nutrition and overall healthy lifestyle. I fill my free time with family and sports.

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