keratoconus through the eyes of a patient
DESCRIPTION
What would it be like to have a degenerative disease of the cornea? Ultimately resulting in the need for a corneal transplant, keratoconus (KC) breaks down and thins the corneal tissue until vision is impacted in major ways.TRANSCRIPT
BY GARY G. ABUD, JR.
P I C T U R E S C O U RT E S Y O F W W W. KC V I S I O N. O R G
Keratoconus
Keratoconus
KC is a progressive and degenerative disease of the cornea
Vision is affected in several ways simultaneously, including ghosting, blurring, double vision, and a haloing effect
Both genetic factors and mechanical strain have been hypothesized to lead to the disease
Course of treatment varies from mild KC (glasses) to moderate KC (special contact lenses) to severe KC (transplantation of cornea, in part or whole)
What Keratoconus (KC) Does to the Cornea
A Normally Seen (20/20) Parking Sign
Parking Sign: Mild Keratoconus
Parking Sign: Advanced Keratoconus
Keratoconus Causes Double Vision
The Eye Chart
Slight Image Distortion with Mild KC
Normal View of Building without Glare
Glare: Mild Keratoconus
Glare: Moderate Keratoconus
Glare: Advanced Keratoconus
KC Causes A Halo Effect Around Night Lights
Keratoconus Makes Night Driving Difficult
Sometimes Night Driving is Impossible
The Moon Seen Normally
Double Vision: Moderate Keratoconus
Double Vision: Advanced Keratoconus
A Clear Image of a Navy Plane
“Ghosting” of Image: Very Mild KC
“Ghosting” of Image: Mild KC
“Ghosting” of Image: Moderate KC
“Ghosting” of Image: Advanced KC
“Ghosting” of Image: Very Advanced KC
Keratoconus Causes All of These Symptoms
• There is no way to treat symptoms individually.
• Glasses can help in early stages
• Hard contact lenses must be worn as KC progresses, but then lens fitting is difficult
• Eventually, the only alternative is surgery a cornea transplant
GlareGhostingDistortionHalo EffectDouble VisionPoor Night Vision
A Cornea Transplant Can Replace the Diseased Keratoconus Cornea, but Recovering Useful Vision Takes
Time
Cornea Transplant Vision: 2 Days After
Cornea Transplant Vision: 1 Month After
Cornea Transplant Vision: 2 Months After
Cornea Transplant Vision: 4 Months After
Cornea Transplant Vision: 6 Months After
The Clear Image
Treatment Success
The success of any form of treatment depends on the progression of the disease
Corneal transplantation, although highly successful, is reserved for the more severe cases
The transplanted cornea, once fully healed, can give rise to vastly improved vision compared to pre-transplantation keratoconus vision
Many new techniques in transplantation and contact lens fitting make treating keratoconus much more manageable
G. ABUD2011
Keratoconus