Keratoconus Treatments Orlando | Herschel LASIK and Cataract

Keratoconus Treatments

 
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Keratoconus is a progressive disease of the cornea that occurs in children, teenagers, and young adults. The cornea begins to thin causing the shape of the eye to change from a dome to a cone. The corneal curvature also becomes irregular. Before being diagnosed with Keratoconus, patients may begin to find that their glasses or contacts are no longer doing a good job correcting their vision or they may experience increasing unexplained astigmatism. Symptoms of Keratoconus may include blurred vision, difficulty seeing at night, light sensitivity, and halos and glare. Learn more about Keratoconus.

Dr. Herschel served as a Principal Investigator on an FDA multi-center Phase III clinical trial using corneal collagen cross-linking to treat patients with Keratoconus. The treatment was approved by the FDA in April 2016. Dr. Herschel was the only ophthalmologist in Central Florida participating in the trial, and our center has more experience treating patients with Keratoconus than any vision center in Central Florida. Meet Melanie, one of our cross-linking patients, and learn more about Dr. Herschel’s clinical trial experience.

Treatments for Keratoconus are intended to slow or stop the progression of the disease, stabilize the cornea, improve the corneal curvature, slow or stop further deterioration in vision, and improve the ability of glasses or contacts to correct vision. Over a number of months following treatment, the shape of the cornea and, therefore, visual acuity, will continue to change. After treatment, patients may likely continue to need glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision.

Did your doctor tell you that your only option is a Corneal Transplant? Learn about new advancements in treatment options

Keratoconus treatments are most often done in combination to optimize therapy for the underlying eye disease and maximize vision improvement. After a comprehensive vision history and eye examination, Dr. Herschel will discuss which treatments would be best for you. The treatments include:

Specialty Contact Lenses

(RGP, Scleral Hybrid, Custom Soft Contact Lenses)

Specialty Contact Lenses

Modern contact lens designs for keratoconus are customized to the specific curvature of your eye. Many times, these lenses can improve vision, even in patients with more advanced disease.


Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking

Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking is a procedure that uses riboflavin (Vitamin B2) in the presence of ultraviolet light (UV) to strengthen the collagen fibers in the cornea. This procedure slows or stops the progression of Keratoconus and helps improve the shape of the cornea and visual acuity (in most patients).


Intacs® Corneal Implants

Intacs® Corneal Implants are thin, clear semi-circular plastic rings that are implanted in the eye with the goal of changing the shape of the cornea from the cone shape caused by Keratoconus towards the dome shape of the normal eye without removing any tissue from the cornea. The implants are intended to be permanent, but they can be removed, if vision needs change. The implants require no maintenance and cannot be felt. They are typically not visible to the naked eye.


Topography-Guided PRK

Topography Guided PRK

Topography-guided PRK uses topographic measurements to map the irregularities of a patient’s corneas and combines that information with refractive errors to produce a personalized treatment plan. This technology is well-suited for treating Keratoconus patients because Keratoconus patients have irregular corneas. In addition, Keratoconus patients may benefit from some combination of topography-guided PRK, corneal collagen cross-linking, Intacs® Corneal Implants, and conductive keratoplasty. After a comprehensive vision history and eye exam, Dr. Herschel will discuss with you what the best options are for your eyes. Learn more about Topography-Guided PRK.


Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)

Conductive keratoplasty is a simple procedure in which high-frequency radio waves are applied to the surface of the cornea. The waves shrink the tissue in small areas, thereby reshaping the cornea.

Signs and Symptoms of Keratoconus

Signs and Symptoms usually appear in the late teens and early twenties.

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Excessively
Rubbing Eyes

Blurry vision symbol

Mildly
Blurry Vision

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Difficulty
Seeing at Night

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Frequent Changes in Eyeglass Prescriptions

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Frequent
Headaches

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Vision that Cannot Be Corrected with Glasses

For Which Keratoconus Treatments Am I a Candidate?

Since Keratoconus is a progressive disease, early diagnosis and treatment are very important. Dr. Herschel will review your vision history and perform a comprehensive evaluation of your eyes. This information is essential to determine the stage of your Keratoconus and the best treatment options or combinations available for you. Dr. Herschel will discuss your options with you.

Those who know choose Herschel LASIK and Cataract Institute

Beautiful office. Amazing and caring staff. Getting my surgery done Saturday and the Doctor and the staff helped choose the right option for me and I didn't feel pushed to commit. One of the only few who commits the patient to a dry eye treatment as per my research. Post-surgery I hope to keep my 5 star rating because I have nothing bad to say!

Yogi Nayyar (Google), February 2020

I recently did my LASIK procedure about 1 week ago and was completely blown away from beginning to end with the SERVICE received from the entire staff at Herschel LASIK. The office is beautifully decorated and the staff was always professional, personable, knowledgeable and friendly. I particularly enjoyed the way that everything was explained clearly before, during and after my procedure and questions were always encouraged and answered. My experience was the best encounter to date with a physician. Excellent doctor + excellent support staff +excellent service = excellent experience and a happy customer. Thank you so much Dr. Herschel, Doris and Francesca.

Vernicia Sturrup (Google), September 2019

Great service, sometimes a bit of a wait, but I take a full lobby as a sign of a well recommended doctor. Staff is friendly & quick to answerphones & squeeze me in when I got an eye problem. Would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to get LASIK. Doctor even personally called to check on me the night after my procedure.

Stephanie G. (Yelp), January 2020

I got my LASIK procedure done here. I was apprehensive, mostly because anything to do with my eyes kind of freaked me out.
I went under a free consultation. The nurses/assistants were very nice and they answered any questions I had. Then I met Dr. Herschel and he was very nice and understanding. He explained all that would happen, how everything works, how long recovery will be, everything.
So, I agreed and start the process. I love the fact you always meet with Dr. Herschel at every appointment.
I now have 20/20 vision.
I'd highly recommend going to him for all of your vision needs.

Kelsea K. (Yelp), November 2019

Great surgeon and great staff. Do your research, Dr. Herschel is more than just a LASIK surgeon. He is certified and specializes in all areas of eye surgery so have peace of mind that you are getting one of the best. They use current technology and machines. More so, if your eyes aren’t ready for surgery he has no problem delaying 1-2 weeks until they are 100% good-to-go. He will not risk your health for the sake of money.

Dave T. (Yelp)
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