Treating Keratoconus After Lasik
When deciding to have Lasik surgery one must undergo a thorough evaluation to determine if you are a good candidate. There are some complications associated with Lasik surgery that can be avoided by careful testing prior to Lasik such as corneal mapping or Topography.
Keratoconus after Lasik known as Laser in situ Keratomileusis is a condition known as Keratoectasia. The occurrence of Keratoectasia after Lasik is .04-.6%. In 2004 over 50% of doctors reported at least one patient with this condition. Most instances occur in patients with Myopic Lasik or Lasik for nearsightedness.
Some risk factors before Lasik are:
Thin cornea
Young age with high prescription
Amount of myopia that is treated
Depth of treatment
Pre-operative inferior steepening on mapping
One of the biggest signs of risk to Keratoectasia after Lasik are patients with inferior steepening on the topography. Keratoectasia can also show up in patients with no risk factor and careful observation after Lasik is extremely important. All patients should have proper Corneal mapping & Evaluation before Lasik surgery or PK (photo-refractive Keratectomy).
PRK or Lasik permanently changes the shape of the anterior central cornea. The procedure is done with an excimer. Mostly preformed on myopic patients and it is said that 80% of the population are eligible for the procedure.
Some requirements are:
Normal Ocular Health
Age- 20 years plus
Optimal parameters are 1.5– 7.00 diopters of myopia
Pupil size of 6mm
Stable refraction error ( no change in the last year)
Corneal thickness greater than 450 microns.
Remember to get a thorough evaluation before any vision correction treatment this is important and be sure you understand all possible complications and a reasonable expectation of results.
Tags: Collagen crosslinking, Keratoconus, Keratoconus advice, Keratoconus Inserts, Keratoconus Treatment