Are you looking for effective Keratoconus treatment in Mumbai? Dr. Kareeshma Wadia offers hope and healing to those who are battling this condition. At Jehan Eye Clinic, she and her dedicated team provide a compassionate and innovative approach to treating Keratoconus. With their unwavering commitment to your eye health, you can trust that they will take care of you throughout your journey to clearer vision.
What is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus causes a progressive ectasia or thinning of the cornea. It increases the curvature of the cornea, resulting in an irregular and steep corneal shape. Genetic or inflammatory conditions weaken the internal bonds that link the different layers of the cornea. It is often associated with eye allergies and increased eye rubbing.
How is Keratoconus diagnosed?
Keratoconus patients typically report frequent changes in their spectacle powers or sudden increases in cylindrical spectacle power. In the early stages, a Cornea Specialist needs to conduct a detailed evaluation to prevent the condition from being overlooked. This evaluation includes performing a special scan for the patient, referred to as Corneal Topography.
A specialized machine called Topography maps the cornea, providing a precise analysis of the contour and shape of the cornea, along with detailed data on curvature and thickness at various points on each cornea. Various types of Topographers are available, each offering different data. Dr. Kareeshma conducted a three-year thesis on Keratoconus and has worked for an additional 1.5 years in this field.
Serial Topographies can be used to diagnose early cases of Keratoconus, enabling regular monitoring to determine if the condition is progressing. If progression occurs, the patient may undergo a treatment known as Corneal Collagen cross-linking (C3R/CXL).
Dr. Kareeshma conducted her thesis on Keratoconus and has worked for 3 years in this area.
Is immediate surgery necessary for Keratoconus?
Keratoconus that is not active will not always progress. If it does progress, a procedure called Cornea Cross Linking is performed to help stop the disease, but it cannot make the eyes normal.
If the disease is already in an advanced stage at the first visit or if the patient was diagnosed late, early cross-linking may be recommended. Otherwise, regular check-ups are conducted to document any signs of progression. To learn more, please consult your Cornea Specialist.
keratoconus FAQs
Keratoconus commonly begins in teenagers and can advance well into their mid-30s. It usually affects both eyes, but one eye is usually more severe than the other. We also have no way of predicting the rate of progression of the disease unless we do timely checkups with the doctor.
In keratoconus the cornea which is the clear, dome-shaped front part of your eye starts thinning and progressively protrudes outward into a conical shape.
blurred vision is caused due to the conical shape of the cornea and it also causes light and glare sensitivity.
This disease usually affects both eyes, one being worse than the other.
A common discovery marked in keratoconus is that there is loss of collagen in the cornea.
No conclusive cause of keratoconus is known, though it is commonly associated with eye rubbing and eye allergies.
In some very rare cases, keratoconus is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means that one copy of the altered gene in each cell is adequate enough to cause the condition. Keratoconus is mostly not inherited and can also arise in individuals with no family history of the disorder.
In some very rare cases, keratoconus is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means that one copy of the altered gene in each cell is adequate enough to cause the condition. Keratoconus is mostly not inherited and can also arise in individuals with no family history of the disorder.
Keratoconus most of the time only affects one eye first, but commonly the corneas of both the eyes become distorted, though they might not be affected with the same severity.
Blurry or distorted vision in early keratoconus can be corrected with glasses or soft contact lenses sometimes.
As the disease progresses, you will need to keep a check on the prescription for eye glasses or soft contact lenses as the shape of the cornea will keep on changing.
The next step in treating more-advanced keratoconus are hard contact lenses.
YES. Once the cornea starts changing its shape, it cannot be restored to a normal / healthy condition with any treatment. Nevertheless, C3R can stop the progression, and specialized contact lenses can improve the vision allowing most individuals to function normally in their everyday lives. Medications however cannot cure keratoconus.
When it comes to selecting contact lenses for keratoconus, there are various types of lenses. Customized contact lenses of Rose-K (corneal), semi-scleral as well as scleral contact lenses are available. You can take a trial to see how comfortable the lens is and how much the visual improvement is.
Patients in the initial stages of keratoconus can have exceptional vision with glasses or soft contact lenses. As the corneal cone bulges more and the disease progresses, glasses or soft contact lenses no longer offer adequate vision improvement.
As the keratoconus condition progresses you will need to move on to the more advanced lenses.
Only distorted or blurry vision in the early stages of Keratoconus can be corrected with the use of soft contact lenses.
Corneal transplant is used to treat end stage keratoconus ( in which over a period of time the shape of the cornea changes and becomes cone like) when it has advanced to its maximum extent. Corneal transplant may also be known as keratoplasty. This surgery helps in improving eye sight.
C3R / CXL surgery is the known first line of treatment for keratoconus which costs somewhere approximately between Rs.60,000 to Rs.1,35,000.
On further development of the disease which can lead to corneal transplant in certain cases the cost would approximately come up to Rs.1,50,000.
When bearing in mind the cost of keratoconus treatment cost, it is vital to check your health insurance coverage and its terms and conditions. Some treatments, especially surgical ones, may be covered partially or fully by insurance, depending on the policy and the severity of the condition. Depending on the coverage provided by your healthcare insurance provider the cost will vary accordingly.