Being diagnosed with Keratoconus can be devastating. It often shocks the patients. The truth is there are many treatment options available for patients with Keratoconus today. You don’t have to let the disease rule you. Keratoconus patients have experienced several results when it comes to the treatment of Keratoconus such as: Stopping the progression of keratoconus, to reversing the damage caused by Keratoconus in some patients. There are many treatments of Keratoconus.

Below are a few treatments you can talk over with your doctor:

INTACS:

Intacs are used to reshape the natural curves of the cornea to correct nearsightedness. The intacs are small segments placed between the tissue layers of the cornea. There has been much success with the use of INTACS. There are many benefits to the use of INTACS like:

• It is only a 10 minute procedure

• You can remove them or exchange them over time

• Can delay the progression of Keratoconus

C3-R:

C3-R also know as Corneal Collagen Cross-linking with Riboflavin is another option for Keratoconus patients. This procedure is used to strengthen the cornea. C3R has been very effective in patients with Keratoconus. Over the course of 2-3 months it continues to strengthen the cornea and stops the progression of keratoconus. In some patients it has reversed the damage caused by keratoconus. The procedure takes about 30 minuted and involves the placement of drops in the affected eye. The doctor than places a UV light on the eye to activate the drops. There is no pain or post maintenance required after the procedure.

CK- For Astigmatism:

Conductive Keratoplasty- Or CK is a painless 5 minute procedure that can be done in the doctors office. This procedure has been shown to improve the vision of Keratoconus patients and reduce astigmatism.

Cornea Transplant:

Typically a corneal transplant is the last resort. It involves removal of the cornea and replacing it with a donor cornea. This type of procedure is permanent and generally used if all other options have been evaluated and there is no other option.

To learn more on Alternative Treatment options for Keratoconus visit: www.keratoconusinserts.com

To see a free webinar on Keratoconus visit: www.FixesYourKeratoconus.com

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Staar Surgical Company–

It is not only important to ensure that you have the right surgeon in your corner. It is equally important to know what tools they are using. Why is that so important you ask? Simply because even if you have the best doctor in the country; if his tools are of poor quality it will not be as effective. Just ask Staar Surgical Company.

Staar Surgical Company was founded in 1982 and are now one of the leading Surgical product manufacturers for Corrective Devices in the world. Their product line is not just put out and forgotten. Staar makes it a point to put out only the best Surgical technology. They re-create and are constantly improve their products. Through research and lots of creativity Staar Surgical Company is able to not only create the device but also create the material some of their products is made of!

Their latest work of art? Collamer—this lovely material is used throughout the affinity Line. Which gives more durability to their lenses as well as creating a natural lens improving the quality of vision and bio-compatibility with the use of their lenses.

So by now you are probably asking yourself what products do they make? Well below are just a few of these fine products produced by Staar Surgical Company:

Aquaflow Collagen Glaucoma Drainage Device

STAAR Silicone IOLs

Visian TICL (Toric Implantable Collamer Lens)

Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens)

The Art of any surgical procedure is not only about the artists but his tools and how he uses them. STAAR Surgical Company is truly a remarkable place. Its people are continuing to bring technology to our doctors to give the most accurate and convenient care. As well as improve our surgical experience. To learn more about STAAR Surgical Company you can visit their website at: http://www.starr.com.

There are many improvements in medical technology’s today allowing us to improve our quality of vision. Lasik has been a great gift to many however on that is moving up in the ranks is Visian ICL. This is also known as a Phakic Intraocular lens or an Implantable lens or Insertable Contact Lens. The Visian ICL was created by Staar Surgical company to help improve the quality of vision in patients with myopia nearsightedness; with or without Astigmatism.

These nifty little lenses are beneficial to us because they give us a much clearer view of the world and are bio-compatible with our eyes. The Visian ICL isn’t designed to sit in front of the natural lenses to enhance the quality of our vision producing a better picture.

Some benefits of the Visian ICL are:

Better Quality of Vision-

The Visian ICL is made of a special material which gives the patient a better quality of vision. It is also more durable them most ICL’s. Many patients refer to having HD (High Definition) vision after this procedure; everything is remarkable clear and crisp and often clearer than what they saw with the contacts or glasses.

Small Entry Site-

The Visian ICL is foldable allowing the surgeon to make a small entry site in the cornea, which is less than half the size of most ICL’s entry sites and it doesn’t require sutures.

Removable-

The Visian ICL’s are removable in case the patient suffers vision changes over the years or over/under correction occurs.

Safety-

The procedure requires small entry to insert the lens, which makes the procedure less invasive compared to other ICL procedures.

This procedure is becoming more and more common in the world of corrective surgery. The STAAR Surgical Company continues to improve their techniques and technologies. Though in the end the decision is up to you. If you are interested in learning more on the Visian ICL visit ICL information.

We all have problems dealing with loss of vision and when we hear big words like “Keratoconus” we definitely struggle with questions. Looking for a way to get rid of it. We often struggle with questions like “What happens now?” “How will this effect my life” “Will I go blind?”

While those are all understandable questions first it is important that you understand what “Keratoconus” is and how it is treated. Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory eye condition which is often progressive. Keratoconus is a thinning of the cornea which causes many disturbances in the eyes creating vision changes.

Keratoconus affects each patient differently. About 2 out of every 100,000 patients suffer from Keratoconus. Treatment of Keratoconus depends on the stage the condition is in as well as the patient. Also it can affect one or both eyes. Your Eye doctor will help determine your stage and help you go over your treatment process. Many times Keratoconus can be treated with glasses and contacts.

Treatment Options for Keratoconus-

Keratoconus is treated many ways and just because you have been diagnosed doesn’t mean drastic measure need to be taken. Since it is progressive you should explore all options. This will keep you educated and you can ask any questions you have about them to your doctor.

RGP-

Rigid Gas Permeable lenses- or (RGP) are sometime used in the early to mild stages of Keratoconus. Quite often with Keratoconus soft contact lenses are not enough. The doctor can prescribe some hard prescription lenses to help you with your vision. However as the disease progresses you will need to change them or look into more options.

C3-R-

This is a 30 minute procedure performed in the doctors office. The procedure involves applying a special solution to the eye that is activated by a light. This procedure stops the disease from progressing so you can remain comfortable in your contact lenses or glasses.

INTACS-

Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments- Referred to as (INTACS) are used quite frequently. They are an insertable contact that require less maintenance then RGP’s. INTACS also allow you to change your prescription as changes occur. They don’t create a lot of discomfort. The INTACS are placed behind the nerve so you don’t feel them. More people today are turning to INTACS as an option for treatment when they are no longer comfortable RGP’s or they have decreased quality of vision in their RGPS-

Corneal Transplants-

Corneal transplants are used for people with severe vision loss due to scarring. As well as progressive peripheral thinning. These conditions do occur in patients with Keratoconus but the doctor will discuss this option after all other options have been explored. As with all surgery there are risks of complications and rejection but modern medicine has improved. So it is much safer and done more routinely today.

The treatments for Keratoconus will be explained by your doctor and all you questions will be addressed. Learn, listen and if you are uncomfortable ask questions!

 The eye is difficult to understand and quite often when things go wrong with our eyes we feel afraid and become obsessively worried about our vision. The thought of losing our sight is a very disturbing thought for many but learning as much as we can and asking questions when we speak to our doctors is the best way to handle the situation.

When we are diagnosed with diseases like Keratoconus we often get worried because we read and hear things like corneal transplants and surgery. But this doesn’t mean that we will necessarily need that. There are always new treatments becoming available. C3-R (Collagen Cross-linking) is an excellent way to improve Keratoconus.

The treatment is done in about 30 minutes. Riboflavin drops are placed in the eyes and an ultraviolet light is shined over the eyes. This is documented to strengthen the cornea and collagen in the cornea.

Another treatment for Keratoconus is Intacs. They are very small plastic rings that are placed at the edge of the cornea. There is no removal of tissue and it can be done relatively smoothly and after follow up visits for healing and evaluation of the vision improvements they don’t require maintenance. The Intacs are proven to reduce the damage done by Keratoconus. C3-R as well as additional use of Intacs can improve your chances of saving your cornea. Talking to your eye doctor on benefits as well as risk factors should be considered before undergoing any procedure.

One of the best characteristics of the Visian ICL procedure is the fact that the actual lens is made from a material called Collamer.  Vision ICL is the only eye implant that is made from this material, which makes it truly unique when compared to other types of implants.   In order to better understand the benefits to using Visian ICL, it is helpful to first gain a better understanding of the composition of this lens.

Understanding the Collamer Composition

The Collamer used in Visian ICL is actually a special type of co-polymer collagen.  In fact, the word “Collamer” is created by combining the words “Collagen” and “Co-polymer.”  In scientific terms, the material is created by bonding collagen with a special chromophore that is capable of absorbing UV light.  Once bonded, the materials form a poly-HEMA based co-polymer.

Since Collamer is made entirely from the collagen co-polymer, it is biocompatible with the eye and is capable of providing a very high level of optical performance.  It is also easy to implant in the eye because it can be folded and it unfolds easily once it is inserted.  As a result, only a very small incision has to be made.  This means no sutures are needed and the incision is able to heal quickly.

The Benefits of Visian ICL

Aside from the fact that implanting Visian ICL is a relatively simple procedure, there are several other benefits associated with this Collamer lens.

One of the benefits to using Visian ICL is the fact that Collamer is able to transmit light in a manner that is very similar to the eye’s lens.  This is because Collamer is almost identical in composition to the crystalline lens found in the human eye.

Collamer also has a built-in anti-reflective interface, which is caused by the fact that 40% of the Visian ICL lens is actually made from water. Due to the higher water concentration, it gradually changes the refractive index from the aqueous to the lens.  Since the light patterns created with the Visian ICL are almost the same as the natural lens, less light is reflected and potentially helps reduce dysphotopsias.

Since Visian ICL is made from collagen, it is able to attract fibronectin after the implant has been inserted.  Fibronectin is found naturally in the eye, so having a layer of this substance form around the lens helps to prevent white cell adhesion to the lens.  This means the body does not look at the lens as a foreign object and it is able to remain unnoticed by the body.

The Visian ICL lens also remains free from protein build-up because the Collamer contains a slight negative iconic charge.  Since protein also has a negative charge, the two repel each other and protein is unable to adhere to the surface of the lens.  This means vision remains clear and crisp indefinitely, unless an actual change to the eye occurs.

The Collamer used in Visian ICL is truly unique.  With the help of these unique characteristics, it provides a superior means for improving the vision of those that qualify for the procedure.