Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - June 2009 - Index

The cornea, which forms
a clear dome over the
front of the eye, is
amazing as it not only provides
structural integrity and is the
most important part of the
focusing mechanism of the
eye, but it is also amenable to a
number of corrective procedures
to improve eyesight.
Yet it can also cause difficulties.
In one condition called
keratoconus (derived from
Greek, kerato or cornea, and konos
or cone), there is a progressive
change in the normal gradual
curvature of the cornea to a
more conical shape associated
with thinning of the tissue.
Typically, this condition starts
in adolescence and becomes
more severe with age. Early on
there are few, if any, symptoms
but as it progresses, multiple
‘ghost’ images occur. Instead of
a single image of a point, a multitude
of images are created and
spread out in a chaotic pattern.
Due to the irregular and frequently
shifting cone shape of
Novel treatment for
a difficult eye disorder
the cornea, glasses or regular
contact lenses are usually of little
help. Special ‘hard’ contact lenses
that flatten the cornea may be
the only practical visual aid,
though over time they have to
be ‘piggybacked’ on top of soft
contact lenses.
Keratoconus frequently is
asymmetrical and at times minimally
progressive in at least
one of the eyes. Up to 25 per
cent of people with it eventually
require a corneal transplantation,
a serious though reasonably
successful, procedure. At
times a partial corneal transplantation
or the placement of
artificial ring segments into the
cornea can stabilize the condition.
Starting more than 10 years
ago, at first at the Teschnische
Universitaet Dresden, Germany,
and later at the IROC in
Zurich, Prof. Theo Seiler and
coworkers developed the novel
treatment of ‘crosslinking’
collagen fibers within the
cornea. This addresses the
underlying problem of progressive
weakening of the links
between those collagen fibers,
instead creating a multitude of
novel and much stronger links.
This causes an exponential
increase in strength and stiffness
of the cornea and flattening
of the cone and can
reduce a person’s visual error
by up to 40 per cent. This treatment
has the potential to drastically
reduce the need for corneal
transplantation and improve
the quality of vision dramatically.
It is most effective if
utilized relatively early once a
progressive nature of the
condition has been established.
Keratoconus occurs more
frequently in people with certain
ethnic backgrounds. Typically it
is found in 1/2000 people of the
population average. Some studies
have show it to be 4.4 times
more common in persons of
East Indian origin. Today’s
diagnostic devices have improved
the the chances of an
earlier detection greatly.
The earlier an intervention
is undertaken, be it a ‘therapeutic’
contact lens or ‘crosslinking’,
the less the probability
of debilitating progression to
serious visual problems and the
need for serious eye surgery.
Should there be a history of
keratoconus in the family, you
should consult with your eye care
professional and/or attend one of
the several diagnostic keratoconus
clinics in the GTA area.
– DR. C HRISTOPH KRANEMANN
• Dr. Christoph Kranemann,
medical director of the Clearview
Institute, is one of North America’s
leading practitioners of ophthalmology.
He can be reached at 416-
445-8439 for a free consultation.
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42 Desi News June 2009