Corneal Cross Linking - Keratoconus Surgery

Corneal Cross-Linking is a form of cornea surgery that stabilises Keratoconus, a condition which affects the eye's cornea. It means the collagen fibres in the cornea are not tightly bound to one another as they would be in a healthy cornea. The result is that fibres can slip over one another and cause the lower half of the cornea to become cone shaped. This leads to a reduction in vision, an increase in astigmatism and the introduction of aberrations that reduce the quality of vision. The clear 'bulge' that characterises Keratoconus develops very gradually, distorting the light rays that enter the eye and causing a distorted or 'bumpy' field of vision.

Cornea Treatments at Optegra

We offer several forms of corneal surgery, tailored to your eye's individual needs.

Corneal Cross Linking treatment takes the form of custom-made Riboflavin eye drops that are gently applied to the eye, then 'activated' via ultra-violet light. This causes a positive reaction within the corneal tissues, strengthening the collagen within them and improving their ability to retain the cornea's ideal shape.

Topographic Corneal Cross Linking starts with laser correction, followed by the Riboflavin treatment. A topographic guided treatment leads to better visual rehabilitation and improves vision by normalising the corneal surface and reducing irregular astigmatism.

Optegra offers cornea surgery treatments which combine Corneal Cross Linking with an excimer laser surface treatment. We use the advanced Concerto excimer laser (WaveLight) for the topography-guided treatment. However, this is only possible if the corneal thickness is enough for both treatments, your consultant will advise you of this at your consultation.

Post Treatment Cornea Care

After your Keratoconus Corneal Cross-Linking surgery, your consultant will provide you with a combination of steroid and antibiotic drops. You should keep applying these for as long as your consultant advises. You will benefit from resting quietly for the remainder of the day, either sleeping, or with your eyes closed in a darkened room. You will also be asked to make a follow-up appointment with us, this is to ensure that the cornea treatment has been successful and for you to ask us any after-care questions that may be on your mind.

Contact Us About Keratoconus

For further details about cornea Keratoconus surgery or to book a consultation please contact Optegra today.