Can a graft cure my Keratoconus

[Andrew MacLean]

Can a graft cure my Keratoconus

The simple answer to this question is "no". At present, Keratoconus is incurable. But, and here is what Shakespeare may have called 'the rub', it can be managed.

The first strategy for managing KC is the provision of contact lenses. Most of us start with rigid gas permeable lenses, and some never need anything else.

Some people give up at this stage. It ought to be remembered that KC eyes are not easy to fit with contact lenses, so an element of perseverance may be required. If you are being seen by a high street optometrist, it may be worth while asking how much experience he or she has of fitting KC eyes.

If RIB lenses become a problem, then there are several different sorts of lens that can be tried.

There are also different sorts of surgical procedure that can be tried. Some KC patients have been treated by a procedure known as C3R (collagen cross-linking), some have had INTACS fitted and some have had other surgical procedures.

The end game is the corneal graft. As with other strategies, this comes in a variety of forms. The aim is to remove all or part of the KC cornea and replace it with a healthy cornea that has been donated by a dead person. But, while this may provide life-long improvement to the eye sight of the recipient, it does nothing to remove the underlying causes, yet to be fully understood, of Keratoconus.

Cornea grafts do sometimes fail, and while evidence varies, there appears to be a growing consensus that the earlier in life a cornea is grafted, the greater the likelihood of its failing.

Another entry on the FAQ forum, Gareth addresses the question of KC returning post-graft.