Keratoconus

Ophthalmologist & LASIK Surgeon Serving Chicago, Lombard & Naperville Areas Of Illinois

Our corneas handle the essential job of refracting light, and that is a major component of our ability to see. When this usually circular nerve becomes weak or thin, a cone-like eye bulge may develop, and this is the progressive disease known as keratoconus.

If you live in or near the Chicago metropolitan area and need a skilled, experienced eye doctor to treat keratoconus, please contact Foulkes Vision in Lombard, Illinois, to schedule your appointment with our talented ophthalmologist: 630-724-1400.

Keratoconus Treatment: Intacs® Corneal Implants

For more than a decade, eye surgeons in Chicago and nationwide have turned to Intacs® to effectively address keratoconus, which, over time, can begin to impact your vision.

Intacs® are corneal ring segments made from biomimetic material. They were approved more than a decade ago by the FDA to treat Keratoconus, which induces a thinning and weakening of the cornea and also impacts the surface of the cornea.

In the past, the sole treatment for keratoconus was a corneal transplant. Now this invasive surgery is but one treatment option as Intacs® have the power to halt cornea deterioration. Newer investigative procedures like corneal cross-linking (CXL) may help prevent keratoconus before your cornea deteriorates.

Intacs® may prove a better solution for people suffering from keratoconus than a cornea transplant, or they may help these patients prolong the time before they absolutely must have transplant surgery.

About the Intacs Procedure

This outpatient procedure takes about 15 minutes per eyes, and carries fewer risk than other common vision treatments such as LASIK or PRK. Intacs® provide options for people who are ready to live without glasses or contact lenses, and is less invasive than a surgical procedure that permanently alters the eye. Instead, the two tiny Intacs® crescents are gently affixed to the edge of the cornea.

Here are some of the patient criteria to be considered a candidate for Intacs®:

• Your current prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses must fall in the range of -1.00 to -3.00 diopters, with no more than astigmatism of 1.00 diopter.
• Your eyes must be healthy and free of disease or injury.
• Your vision must be stable for over a year.
• You must be in generally good health.
• You cannot be pregnant or nursing.
• You must be 21 years of age or older to be considered.

A Solution for Nearsightedness

This technology has long been employed as an alternative to LASIK eye surgery because Intacs® are ideal for people with naturally thin corneas, and also can be removed.

So even before Intacs® became a keratoconus solution, the FDA approved their use to treat mild forms of nearsightedness. This can provide people who suffer from conditions such as myopia and astigmatism the opportunity to regain clear vision without LASIK.

The major difference between Intacs® and laser vision correction is this procedure doesn’t involve the removal of corneal tissue.

When you need a skilled, experienced Chicago-area eye doctor who offers Intacs®, please contact Foulkes Vision in Lombard, Illinois, to schedule your appointment at 630-724-1400.