Crosslinking vs. Other Keratoconus Treatments: What’s Best for You?

Corneal crosslinking effectively stabilizes keratoconus, but how does it compare to other options? Finding the right treatment is essential for preventing further keratoconus progression. At Milwaukee Eye Surgeons, Dr. Kenneth Weinlander, an elite board-certified ophthalmologist and cornea specialist, provides advanced care for keratoconus patients. With a focus on accessibility, we offer office-based procedures in Brookfield, WI, making high-level eye care more affordable.

This month’s blog discusses how corneal crosslinking can help strengthen your cornea and how it compares to other treatment options.

Understanding Corneal Crosslinking

Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition that weakens the cornea, leading to cone-shaped corneal protrusion and visual distortions. Corneal crosslinking is a specialized procedure designed to strengthen and stabilize the cornea in patients whose corneas are steadily weakening.

Most people experience keratoconus progression, whether slow or rapid, over time. Generally, this progression stops by age 40 or about 20 years from onset. Crosslinking can help halt this progression long before that, thereby preserving vision much earlier.

In corneal crosslinking, a blend of ultraviolet (UV) light and riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops create new molecular bonds inside the cornea. These bonds act as internal reinforcements, shoring up the cornea’s strength and preventing further thinning or bulging.

Crosslinking doesn’t reverse existing corneal changes but can be a vision game-changer for earlier-stage keratoconus.

How Crosslinking Compares to Other Treatments

Other keratoconus treatments are available but depend on whether your disease is in the early stages, how it affects your vision, and whether it’s progressing.

For early-stage keratoconus, glasses and contact lenses can correct vision but don’t stop cornea changes.

Another option, corneal implants, can help reshape the cornea from within and improve vision, but won’t prevent progression.

The other option for keratoconus is a corneal transplant to replace part or all of the cornea with donor tissue. It’s a complex procedure reserved for situations where keratoconus causes serious vision loss.

Crosslinking is the only treatment proven to slow or halt keratoconus progression, reducing the likelihood of needing a corneal transplant in the future.

Corneal Crosslinking in Brookfield, WI

If you have keratoconus and want to explore your best treatment options with the leading corneal crosslinking expert in Brookfield, call Milwaukee Eye Surgeons at 414-377-5550 to schedule a consultation.