Keratoconus is a condition which causes a cone-shaped cornea. For many Fort Collins and Denver Area patients, keratoconus ultimately necessitates corneal transplantation.
Keratoconus is an eye condition in which the round, oval cornea becomes thin over time and develops a cone-like bulge, resulting in severe vision loss.
Keratoconus and post-refractive corneal ectasia are the second most frequent indications for corneal transplantation, accounting for about 15% of the corneal transplants performed in the United States. Corneal transplantation has inherent risks that could result in permanent loss of vision and significantly impact the patient’s quality of life during the surgical recovery phase, with lost work time and often permanent changes in lifestyle. Any modality, such as corneal collagen cross-linking, that can delay or prevent corneal transplantation in patients with these conditions is of great benefit.
Keratoconus affects both eyes of an individual, however symptoms will vary from patient to patient. The cause of keratoconus is not known. Some researchers believe that genetics play a role, since an estimated 10% of people with keratoconus also have a family member with the condition.
Keratoconus is a progressive disease that can have subtle symptoms at first, such as contact lenses falling out frequently or gradually changing eyeglass prescriptions. Although corrective lenses can ameliorate early symptoms, keratoconus will, for some patients, leave them legally blind (vision worse than 20/200) without intervention. Corneal transplant and DSEK are two primary treatments.
If you answered yes to these questions, particularly the last two, then you should have an evaluation with an ophthalmologist to assess your eye health needs.
Cutarelli Vision offers cataract surgery in Denver and Fort Collins. Dr. Paul Cutarelli has performed cataract surgery for patients throughout Colorado including Colorado Spring, Aurora, Boulder, Longmont, Lakewood, Littleton, Loveland, Greeley, Brighton and more. For our cataract surgery patients in Cheyenne Wyoming, our Fort Collins Eye surgery center is only 45 minutes away. Now offer laser cataract surgery, let Dr. Paul Cutarelli provide better vision with cataract removal surgery.
