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05-31-2019 02:09 PM |
Corneal cross linking is a procedure used to strengthen corneas. While corneal cross linking (sometimes referred to as CL or CXL) has been practiced outside the United States for more than a decade, the procedure was only recently approved for use within the United States. The Kellogg Eye Center is proud to be one of the few eye centers in the country to offer this innovative new treatment.
Corneal cross linking is a minimally invasive procedure that uses ultraviolet light and eye drops in order to strengthen the collagen fibers in the cornea. The procedure is used for patients with keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea grows thin and weak.
During a corneal cross linking procedure, your doctor will first apply riboflavin (vitamin B-12) eye drops, and then shine a specific type of ultraviolet light directly onto your cornea. The eye drops consist of a substance conducive to photo enhancing, which enables cross linking to take place. The procedure causes new corneal collagen cross-links to develop. Those cross links cause the collagen fibrils to shorten and thicken, leading to a stiffer, stronger cornea.
Corneal cross linking is an outpatient procedure that typically lasts for about an hour.
Symptoms/Conditions
A healthy cornea resembles a clear, round dome. Located at the front of your eye, your cornea is what helps you to see, by focusing the light that enters through your eye.
In people with keratoconus, however, the cornea doesn’t have enough collagen fiber cross-links, which serve as a kind of structural support. Without those cross-links, the cornea begins to bulge out in a cone-like shape. That bulge results in blurred, distorted vision as the cornea weakens and thins. The condition, which can significantly impair vision, is difficult to treat with glasses or contact lenses. Severe cases of keratoconus may even require corneal transplant.
Symptoms of keratoconus typically include blurred or distorted vision and increased sensitivity to light.
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