Category Archives: Cornea

Can Keratoconus be Treated?

Posted on May 27, 2020 | Comments Off on Can Keratoconus be Treated?

One of the first questions asked by a newly diagnosed keratoconus patient is “can keratoconus be treated”? The answer is a resounding yes. Keratoconus can be treated successfully via a number of safe and effective methods.

Contact Lenses – The Most Effective Keratoconus Treatment

Contact lenses are the most common, safest, and effective keratoconus treatment available. As Steph Curry, an NBA All-Star point guard for the Golden State Warriors, recently found out. During an interview, he commented on how his keratoconus lenses brought everything into focus.

Numerous types of contact lenses are used to treat keratoconus. RGP contact lenses, while still commonly used, are being replaced by scleral contacts as the most common and effective keratoconus treatment.

Can Keratoconus be Treated with Surgery?

Keratoconus can be treated with surgery; however, like conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, we can’t cure keratoconus with surgery.

Corneal Cross Linking

The most common surgical option for keratoconus is Corneal Cross-Linking. You may see this abbreviated as CCL or CXL. Cross-linking helps stabilize the cornea by increasing the connections between collagen fibers. In most cases, cross-linking will stop the progressive steepening of the cornea. Following cross-linking, patients often further improve their visual acuity with scleral contact lenses.

Penetrating Keratoplasty – Corneal Transplant

Corneal transplants have decreased in popularity since the FDA approved corneal cross-linking. Corneal scarring and corneal hydrops are the most common reasons for corneal transplants.

How do I Learn More About My Keratoconus Treatment Options?

We offer complementary keratoconus treatment consults with Dr. Driscoll to help patients decide which treatment option is best for them. You can schedule your free consultation online with Dr. Driscoll at either our Colleyville or Keller/Southlake Location. We can also schedule your appointment by us calling at 817.416.0333.

About Dr. Driscoll

Dr. Driscoll is a therapeutic optometrist and keratoconus specialist at Total Eye Care in Colleyville, Texas. A 1988 Graduate of the Illinois College, Dr. Driscoll has been treating patients with keratoconus for over 30 years. Following Dr. Driscoll’s Graduation from the Illinois College of Optometry, he joined the residency program at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Dr. Driscoll likes to write. He wrote An Eye Doctor Answers: Explanations To Hundreds Of The Most Common Questions Patients Wish They Had Asked, available on Amazon.com, and The Patient’s Guide to Keratoconus.

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, keratoconus

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Scleral Contact Lenses for Keratoconus Treatment

Posted on July 9, 2019 | Comments Off on Scleral Contact Lenses for Keratoconus Treatment
Scleral Contact lens for Keratoconus Treatment

Scleral contact lenses are the keratoconus’ specialists most effective keratoconus treatment.

What is a Scleral Contact Lens?

Scleral contact lenses rest on the sclera, the white part of the eye, and vault over the cornea. Scleral contacts distribute their weight on the less sensitive sclera which makes them much more comfortable than other lenses. The vision with a scleral contact lens is also more stable than the visual acuity experienced with a gas permeable lens. In the video below Dr. Richard Driscoll, the keratoconus specialist at Total Eye Care discusses keratoconus treatment with scleral contact lenses.

Medically Necessary Contact Lenses

Many vision plans consider the treatment of keratoconus with contact lenses as medically necessary and often provide coverage. Some vision plans also call this type of coverage visually necessary contact lenses. Numerous conditions are considered covered under this provision such as:

  • Dry Eye Syndrome
  • Keratoconus
  • Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
  • High Astigmatism
  • High Refractive Error (usually about 10.00D of correction)
  • Irregular Astigmatism
  • Post Refractive Surgery
  • Post Corneal Transplant

Personalized Keratoconus Treatment Consultation

Total Eye Care offers free consultations to help patients decide which keratoconus treatment may be best for them. You can schedule a free keratoconus consultation with Dr. Driscoll by calling us at 817.416.0333. You can also schedule it online at any time.

Keratoconus Treatment Resources

We have curated some resources on keratoconus we feel every patient with keratoconus will find helpful.

Overview of Keratoconus – KeratoconusDoctors.com

What is Keratoconus, How is it Diagnosed and Treated – TotalEyeCare.com

Keratoconus Treatment Options – KeratoconusDoctors.com

Scleral Contact lenses Insertion and Removal Video – The Eye Doc Blog

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, keratoconus

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Keratoconus Day is November 10

Posted on November 10, 2017 | Comments Off on Keratoconus Day is November 10

Keratoconus Day is November 10

Keratoconus Day November 10November 10 is National Keratoconus Day. Keratoconus is an ocular condition causing debilitating decreased vision in approximately 1 in 400 to 1 in 2000 Americans. Below is a brief overview of keratoconus. For a complete review of keratoconus, including background information, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis can be found here. Spread the word and help someone with keratoconus. 

What is Keratoconus?

Keratoconus develops when the cornea becomes progressively thinner. The cornea is made of collagen fibers. The collagen fibers in a patient with keratoconus do not have links between the fibers. This causes the collagen to be weak. Over time, the weak collagen fibers allow the cornea to become thin and progressively steeper. This change in shape causes the cornea to take on an irregular shape which is poorly corrected with glasses.

How is Keratoconus Diagnosed?

During a regular eye exam, your eye doctor will be able to tell if you have keratoconus. Corneal topography is usually used to confirm a diagnosis of keratoconus.

How is Keratoconus Treated?

Keratoconus doctors agree contact lens are the treatment of choice. Various types of contact lenses are used to treat keratoconus; however, the best success, comfort, and vision is achieved with scleral contact lenses.

Finding a Keratoconus Doctor

If you have keratoconus or know someone that does have it the Keratoconus Doctors have over 25 years of experience in treating patients with keratoconus and irregular corneas.

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Posted in Cornea, keratoconus

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Florida State Heisman Candidate QB Jameis Winston Gets OrthoKeratology!

Posted on November 5, 2013 | 1 comment

Jameis Winston Gets Orthokeratology Lenses

Jamies-Winston-OrthoKThe sports pages were all atwitter this weekend talking about how, the FSU quarterback, Jameis Winston doesn’t like to wear his contacts while playing football. He is afraid they will pop out. Problem solved, squinting Jameis Winston  decided to get  OrthoKeratology. The commentators of the FSU-Miami game even commented on how the Heisman candidate QB was squinting to see which play the coach was calling from the sideline. Yahoo News also shows him squinting to find a receiver downfield.

No matter how good you are you will play, and perform at a higher level with better vision. A fact not lost on Winston’s coach, Jimbo Fisher. At the post game press conference Fisher stated “imagine how good he would be if he could see.” I concur, now he will be able to see the eyes of the defender, and his receiver’s, a huge benefit for players at any level. Look out Wake Forest and Syracuse.

What is Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology allows nearsighted patients of all ages to achieve clear vision without glasses or contact lenses. OrthoKeratology has also been shown to be effective in slowing, and in some cases stopping the progression of nearsightedness in children. More information on Orthokeratology at Total Eye Care is also available on the OrthoKDoctor.com website.

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, orthokeratology, Refractive issues, Sports Vision

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New Technology Improves Contact Lens Comfort

Posted on September 13, 2013 | 2 comments
  contact lens comfort We often hear from eyeglass wearers “oh, I tried to wear contacts but they irritated my eyes”. The most common reason patients discontinue contact lens wear is because of poor comfort. Significant advances in contact lens materials have improved contact lens related irritation for many patients. If you have not tried contact lenses in the past 18 months you may be missing out on the potential benefits experienced by successful contact lens wearers.

With better contact lens materials, better contact lens solutions, and better lens designs almost all patients can wear contact lenses. Not all contact lens comfort issues; however, can be fixed with a different contact lens. Often addressing an underlying systemic condition such as dry eye syndrome will improve contact lens wear comfort and extend wearing time.

Now is a great time to give contact lenses another chance. Most of the major contact lens companies are offering rebates, some up to $100. If you would like to see if new contact lens technology can help you please call our office or use our online scheduler.

We look forward to helping you join the ranks of other successful contact lens wearers

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, Eye Care

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Summer – A Great Time for Orthokeratology

Posted on August 5, 2013 | Comments Off on Summer – A Great Time for Orthokeratology

I was asked what is the 60 second brief on OrthoK so here are my high points along with a video. 

Orthokeratology – or·tho·kera·tol·o·gy – a treatment for improving vision by altering the shape of the cornea through the application of corneal molds that are worn while you sleep.

Adult patients, kids, and parents alike express amazement at how we can alter or mold the shape of the cornea with a contact lens, resulting in clear vision during the day without the need for glasses. It’s not magic, the science is very well established and FDA approved.  We remold the cornea like what is done in LASIK. The difference is that Ortho-K achieves this without the use of a laser, it is reversible, and it is easily modifiable.

Check out the video below and see what patients are saying about Orthokeratology. If you want to know more about Orthokeratology call our office for a free consultation 817.416.0333 or visit www.OrthoKDoctor.com

 

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, orthokeratology, Refractive issues

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New Drug For Dry Eye Treatment

Posted on July 26, 2013 | Comments Off on New Drug For Dry Eye Treatment

Bausch & Lomb announced it has acquired the rights to market a new medication for the treatment of dry eye syndrome. This, yet to be named, medication will improve the quality of tears by promoting the eye’s ability to produce mucin, an essential component of our tears, that is responsible for prolonging the evaporation time.

This medication will be the first of it’s class and the first to focus on improving tear quality instead of quantity. Dosing will be twice a day. Phase 3 clinical trials are to begin by the end of 2013.

While a few years from clinical use this compound will provide a new approach to the treatment of dry eye syndrome..

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Posted in Cornea, dry eye syndrome

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Scleral Lenses – An Old Dog With New Tricks

Posted on March 9, 2013 | 9 comments

scleral lensesScleral lenses have been around for over 100 years. Until the new gas permeable lens materials were developed patients could only wear scleral lenses for a few hours a day. With the highly oxygen permeable lens materials now in use, patients can comfortably wear these lenses all day. Scleral contacts are most commonly used to treat eyes with irregular corneas such as keratoconus and post-surgical eyes (usually following corneal transplant surgery or related to complications from refractive surgery). Another common use for scleral contact lenses is in the special effects industry where they are used to protect the cornea and/or to give the eye an exotic appearance.

What Is A Scleral Lens?

Scleral contacts are large contact lenses that rest on the sclera (white part of the eye) with the remainder of the lens vaulting over the cornea. Tears are trapped between the lens and the cornea allowing scleral contacts to treat irregular corneas. Scleral contact lenses are also used to treat dry eye syndrome by preventing the cornea from drying out. The average soft contact lens has a diameter of about 14 mm whereas scleral contacts typically have a diameter exceeding 14.5 mm. The larger diameter is one of the biggest reasons why scleral contacts are so comfortable. 

How Are Scleral Lenses used?

At Total Eye Care, Dr. Driscoll has used scleral contact lenses to treat many conditions such as irregular astigmatism, keratoconus, high myopia, dry eye syndrome, and complications related to LASIK and PRK. Because of their size, sclerals are quite comfortable. Patients often report the comfort being similar to that of a soft contact lens. Most patients with irregular corneas will see better with a scleral lens than with glasses. 

Below is a good video that shows how scleral contacts are cared for and how to insert and remove them.

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, Eye Care, keratoconus, LASIK, Refractive issues

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Excellent OrthoKeratology Video

Posted on January 23, 2012 | 3 comments

With the increased rate of myopia in the US population, orthokeratology is becoming an increasingly important treatment option for our patients.  Dr. Driscoll is a member of the Orthokeratology Academy of America that produced the excellent video shown below.  The video gives a comprehensive overview of orthokeratology, including its pros, cons, and how it works. We highly recommend that any patients considering refractive surgery, such as LASIK and PRK, or orthokeratology view this video. By the way, comments are much appreciated so don’t be shy.

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Posted in children, contact lens, Cornea, orthokeratology

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CooperVision Avaira Contact Lens Recall

Posted on November 19, 2011 | 13 comments

It seems that no contact lens manufacturer has been immune to a recall of their contact lenses. CooperVision announced a global recall of selected lots of their Avaira® Sphere and Avaira® Toric contact lenses.

The recall is due to the amount of residual silicone oil left over from the manufacturing process. The symptoms reported range from blurry vision to pain and irritation.   Only a small number of Avaira contact lenses are affected. To see if your lenses are affected enter your lot number on the CooperVision Contact Lens Recall Website. If your contact lenses are on the recall list CooperVision recommends returning them to the point of purchase for replacement.

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, press release

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