A Revolutionary Procedure for Treating Keratoconus
The information provided below is to help you decide whether or not you want to undergo a procedure to improve your nearsightedness and astigmatism with INTACS® prescription inserts.
Introduction
Keratoconus is a progressive disease of the cornea in which the corneal tissue becomes weak. This results in gradual thinning and bulging of cornea outward. As the name Keratoconus implies, Kerato meaning cornea and Conus meaning cone, the condition results in conical protrusion of the cornea.
When INTACS?
- If you have keratoconus and you are no longer able to achieve adequate vision with your contact lenses or glasses.
- If your contact lenses are uncomfortable and you are unable to wear them for as long as you would like to.
- If you have been told by your doctor that the only remaining option to restore your vision is for you to undergo a corneal transplant procedure.
What is INTACS?
- INTACS may provide an alternative to restore your vision affected by Keratoconus and to possibly defer the need for a corneal transplant procedure.
- INTACS prescription inserts work by reshaping your cornea to a more normal shape. The goal, in most cases, for the INTACS procedure is to allow you to be successfully fitted with contact lenses or glasses again so that your vision can be restored.
- INTACS are tiny plastic (PMMA) segments that are placed in your cornea (the clear front surface of your eye). They work by reshaping your cornea and thereby correcting its refraction (optical power) and may allow you to be comfortably fitted with contact lenses or glasses again to achieve optimal vision.
The Procedure
- Your doctor will place the INTACS inserts in your cornea during an outpatient surgical procedure. The procedure for placing INTACS inserts does not involve cutting or removal of tissue from the cornea’s central optical zone-the part of the cornea that is most important for your vision.
- INTACS inserts are two small, plastic crescents or arcs. They are composed of the same material (PMMA) that has been safely used for nearly 50 years in interocular lenses used to treat patients with cataracts (clouding of the eye’s natural lens).
- INTACS inserts are designed to remain permanently in the eye, yet they can also be removed or replaced, if desired. The INTACS procedure is typically performed as a day care procedure using drops to numb your eye. The total procedure for one eye, including preparation time, is usually completed in less than one hour.
- INTACS inserts are placed into channels created by the femtosecond laser made within the layers of the cornea, after numbing drops have been applied. Once in place, the two arcs flatten the cornea so that light rays can properly focus on the retina. The structural support provided by INTACS inserts will help create a more regular surface of your cornea, which may allow you to be fitted with contact lenses or glasses again to improve your vision.
INTACS for Keratoconus has opened a new vista in the management of this complex disorder and Rajan Eye Care is one of the few centres in India performing this procedure.
