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HELP KERATOCONUS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA & SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SPECIALISTS

HELP KERATOCONUS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA & SAN FRANCISCO
BAY AREA SPECIALISTS

Home » About Keratoconus

About Keratoconus

What is Keratoconus?

Keratoconus (Greek: kerato- cornea; and Latin: conus cone), is a degenerative non-inflammatory disorder of the eye (specifically the cornea) in which structural changes within the collagen of the cornea cause the cornea to thin. This thinning produces an unstable conical shape. Keratoconus can cause symptoms such as distortion of vision, discomfort, and sensitivity to light. Keratoconus is considered rare though it is among the most common corneal dystrophies, affecting by some estimates around one person in a thousand. It is typically diagnosed in the patient’s adolescent years and will generally progress until it attains its most debilitating state in the twenties and thirties.

As important as the question, What is keratoconus?, is the treatments that can be used to improve keratoconus. At one time, an invasive corneal transplant was the only option for treating keratoconus. Today specialist surgeons are increasingly using intacs for keratoconus as well as a variety of new methods. Intacs are prescription inserts and are an exciting new option between contacts and a corneal transplant that may be the best possible option to stabilize the cornea and improve vision for people with keratoconus. Intacs for keratoconus are indicated when contact lenses and glasses are no longer suitable.

After asking, What is keratoconus?, one should also ask where to go for treatment of keratoconus. Turner Eye Institute has been using intacs for keratoconus since the treatment was FDA approved for treatment of keratoconus in 2004. Dr. Stephen Turner was among the first surgeons in the country to use this type of treatment for keratoconus and has had excellent results. Using intacs for keratoconus offers an exciting new treatment for a disease that can often be both difficult to detect and even more difficult to treat. Within the website, you will find a discussion of available options for people suffering from keratoconus.

While Turner Eye Institute offers intacs for keratoconus, there are other possible treatments and it is important that you discuss these options with a trained eye care professional in order to receive the best possible advice. After a complete eye exam, the doctor can discuss with you the best possible method for treating keratoconus. In cases where keratoconus has progressed substantially, the surgeon might recommend intacs for keratoconus. In cases with less progression, other options might be presented.

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Effective March 11th, 2024, we are relocating our office in Concord to 1220 Concord Ave, Suite 290, Concord, CA 94520