Kelly Laser Center

Keratoconus is a condition affecting your cornea. Due to fluid exerting pressure on the wall of your eyeball, your cornea bulges forward in the center, becoming thinner and changing from a round shape to a cone-like shape. Keratoconus leads to the following vision issues:

• Distorted vision
• Blurred vision
• Seeing multiple images
• Increased sensitivity to light

This is a progressive condition. In other words, it gets worse over time, resulting in increasing levels of nearsightedness and astigmatism.

There are a variety of treatments which can help correct vision issues caused by Keratoconus. New York ophthalmologist Dr. James Kelly will recommend the appropriate treatment based on the severity of your condition:

• Contact lenses - These may be able to correct the condition at first, but as your corneal bulging gets more severe, you may need to explore alternative treatments. Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contacts may help smooth the shape of your cornea, but they are often uncomfortable. You may be able to “piggyback” two pairs of contact lenses – one soft and one RGP - with the soft lenses touching your eyes to increase comfort.
• Scleral lenses - These contact lenses are larger in diameter, and as a result, the edges rest outside the cornea on the sclera (white portion of your eye). This reduces corneal pressure.
• Intacs corneal implants - These are curved pieces of plastic which get inserted beneath the surface of your cornea. Intacs corneal implants push against the periphery of your cornea in order to flatten the curvature. Intacs are an excellent treatment option once your corneal curvature is too severe to be treated by contact lenses.
• Surgery - Once your condition worsens to the point where Intacs are no longer effective, Dr. Kelly can perform a corneal transplant. He can either replace the entire cornea or do a partial-thickness replacement. The surgery should improve your vision, but you may still need corrective lenses for optimum vision.

Please contact our New York ophthalmologists today to schedule your free initial consultation with Dr. Kelly, serving Manhattan, New York City, and Long Island, New York.