Keratoconus

 Keratoconus is a  disorder that occurs when the normally round cornea (the front part of the eye) becomes thin and irregular (cone) shaped. This irregular shape prevents the light entering the eye from being focused correctly on the retina and causes blurred  vision.

 In its earliest stages, keratoconus causes slight blurring and distortion of vision and increased sensitivity to glare and light most noticeably at night first. Keratoconus usually appear in the late teens or late twenties. It may progress for 10-20 years and then slow in its progression. Each eye may be affected differently. As keratoconus progresses, the cornea bulges more and vision may become more distorted. In few cases, the cornea will swell and cause a sudden and significant decrease in vision. The swelling occurs when  a tiny crack develops on cone shaped cornea. The swelling may last for weeks or months as the crack heals gradually and is replaced by scar tissue. If this sudden swelling does occur, eye drops  can be prescribed for temporary relief, but there are no medicines that can prevent the disorder from progressing.

Eyeglasses or soft contact lenses can be used to correct the mild irregular astigmatism that is caused by the early stages for keratoconus. As the disorder progresses and cornea continues to thin and bulge, rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses will be needed to correct vision adequately. In most cases, this is adequate. The contact lenses must be carefully fitted, and frequent checkups and lens changes may be needed to achieve and maintain good vision. Thanks to digital corneal topography, now we can  design RGP contact lenses  to fit much more comfortably to eyes than few years ago.

In a few advanced cases, a corneal transplant is necessary. However, even after a corneal transplant, contact lenses are often still needed to achieve functional vision. Dr. Youn is working with many eye doctors for their very challenging advanced keratoconus cases. He utilizes most advanced technology and treatment modality to achieve most clear and comfortable vision as possible.