If you’ve been diagnosed with keratoconus or irregular astigmatism, you may be qualified to have corneal collagen cross-linking to slow the progression of vision loss. As with any eye surgery, you should always discuss with your eye doctor the risks based on your medical history, but this procedure may help you avoid having a corneal transplant the future. We offer this process at The Laser Center of Coral Gables along with other refractive surgeries.
What Does This Procedure Do?
In patients with a thinning cornea, collagen cross-linking helps to strengthen the eye. Weak corneas don’t have as many links across the tissues, but the cross-linking procedure encourages your eye to create more links, strengthening the cornea and preventing further bulging. Unfortunately, this procedure will not correct already blurred vision from keratoconus or similar conditions.
What Happens During the Collagen Cross-Linking Surgery?
This eye procedure is designed to slow the thinning of your cornea. First, you will need to visit The Laser Center of Coral Gables where test are performed to determine if you are a candidate for the procedure. Please allow an hour for your consult where we will conduct various test to determine your candidacy. Once you are approved for the procedure you will be scheduled with Alberto Aran, M.D. for the cross-linking procedure. The procedure takes place in our office and will take approximately 60 minutes.
You’ll get drops in your eyes to numb them. The eye surgeon will then apply drops of riboflavin, vitamin B2, and shine a special light into your eyes to strengthen the cornea. While you won’t be able to drive that day, recovery is relatively short. You will still need to come back to us for a follow-up visit to see how your eyes responded to the procedure.
Visit Us for a free Consultation
At The Laser Center of Coral Gables, we have experienced doctors who care for you and your eyes. If you want to make an appointment to consult with an eye surgeon about this procedure, call us today at (305)-461-0003. We’ll help you through the ordeal of eye surgery with our caring, experienced staff.
