Keratoconus is a degeneration of the cornea, it’s a thinning of it with the conical reshaping. This is the most common form of corneal dystrophy. The disease gradually progresses and leads to visual impairment. The disease is successfully treated in Germany. Doctors utilize minimally invasive procedures and surgical interventions that have the ability to deal with even the most severe forms of keratoconus.
Content
- Diagnostics
- Conservative treatment
- Invasive procedures
- Surgical treatment
Whenever possible, keratoconus is treated with minimally invasive procedures. The most common of these is crosslinking. Eye care professionals rarely resort to a stromal ring implantation. In severe keratoconus, a corneal transplant may be performed.
You can undergo treatment in one of the following hospitals: University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, University Hospital Ulm or Charite University Hospital Berlin.
If you are going to have keratoconus treatment in Germany, Booking Health will be very helpful to you. The specialists of our company will advise you on the choice of an eye clinic and a doctor, recommend a method for treating your keratoconus and make you an appointment, help you apply for a visa and prepare your documents and also arrange flights and accommodation for the period of your treatment. In Germany, you will be accompanied by an interpreter and for any questions you may have, you can contact your medical coordinator.
Diagnostics
The main symptom of keratoconus is severe myopia. A person does not see objects which are located far away.
Doctors in Germany use the following examinations for keratoconus diagnostics:
- Corneal biomicroscopy with dyes;
- Pachymetry – optical or ultrasound, this involves measuring corneal thickness;
- Keratometry – doctors measure the curvature of the anterior corneal surface;
- Corneal topography – the formation of a topographic map of not only the anterior but also the posterior corneal surface;
- Optical coherence tomography – this is often used after a corneal transplant to assess the results of a surgical intervention.
Conservative treatment
In case of keratoconus, doctors set themselves two tasks:
- To improve vision if it is impaired;
- To slow down the progression of the disease.
Since the effect of keratoconus on the corneal shape and stromal thinning is uneven, vision correction with glasses or spherical and toric soft contact lenses, does not provide high visual acuity. Such therapy is appropriate only in the early stages of keratoconus.
Custom-made soft contact lenses are more effective but their ability to correct vision is limited. The best vision correction is provided by rigid lenses, which can be used even when the keratoconus is severe. Rigid contact lenses are not well tolerated by some patients and can often cause side effects.
Invasive procedures
Patients usually require invasive treatment. It helps strengthen the cornea, reduce the risk of further deformity, and improve vision.
Crosslinking is one of the main methods of keratoconus treatment in Germany. This is a minimally invasive procedure that does not require a lengthy recovery. Crosslinking strengthens tissues and stabilizes the cornea. First, doctors remove the surface corneal tissue with a laser. Riboflavin eye drops are then placed into the eyes and irradiated with ultraviolet light. During the rehabilitation period, the eyes are protected with soft lenses.
Stromal ring implantation is a minimally invasive treatment which helps smooth out corneal irregularities and improves vision. Doctors implant rings in the cornea that support its normal shape, acting as a framework. Such rings can remain in the eyes for several years. As the disease progresses, the procedure is repeated: the rings are either replaced with new ones or removed when switching to other treatment methods.
Surgical treatment
If the disease progresses rapidly and visual acuity decreases sharply and if it is impossible to achieve correction with minimally invasive techniques and lenses, then doctors will switch to a surgical treatment. This provides good long-term results and avoids any further vision deterioration.
Circular keratotomy is an incision along the circumference of the cornea, with subsequent suturing. As a result, the form is normalized and the manifestations of astigmatism are reduced. This leads to improved vision. The second positive effect of the operation is the strengthening of the cornea due to the formation of a dense scar. As a result, the progression of the disease slows.
A corneal transplant is the most effective surgical treatment of keratoconus. It is effective even for severe keratoconus. There are different transplant options available depending on the number of corneal layers to be transplanted. The transplant is divided into lamellar and penetrating. In recent years, there has been a trend towards an increase in the frequency of lamellar transplants, since this surgical procedure is more sparing and allows the achievement of treatment goals in a shorter time frame. Doctors usually transplant a donor, less often an artificial cornea. These operations are successfully combined with other treatments for keratoconus.
Contacting one of the clinics in Germany is a perfect option for restoring impaired vision due to keratoconus. You are invited to use the Booking Health website to find out the answers to your questions, such as, what is the price of treatment? The website will also help you when choosing the most suitable medical center and booking your treatment at the best price. When booking your treatment through the Booking Health service, prices are lower than when booking as an individual, as there is no overpricing for foreign patients. The cost of your treatment will not increase: you will receive an insurance that will protect you from any additional costs for medical care services, up to 200,000 EUR. Please leave your request on the website and the specialists of the Booking Health company will contact you to help with choosing a clinic and organizing your trip.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
International Council of Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology Times
MedicineNet
