The first KXL Avedro cross-linking treatments in Poland are carried out by professor Iwona Grabska-Liberek, who is one of the largest specialists in the treatment of keratoconus in Poland. At CMO LASER, professor Iwona Grabska-Liberek has performed several hundred cross-linking treatments since 2007. What is the KXL Avedro cross-linking keratoconus therapy?
The most moderntechnique for cross-linking is available in Poland: KXL Avedro , enabling earlytreatment of keratoconus .
Corneal coneis a disease that manifests itself as a deformation of the cornea (astigmatism). In Poland, about 70,000 people are affected, most of whom are not diagnosed and use only glasses / lenses correcting astigmatism. The disease is often progressive, and as a result, the entire cornea may need to be transplanted.
Keratoconus: cross-linking
Recent scientific reports indicate that the cone should be treated as early as possible. This therapy is cross-linking. The method consists in instilling the cornea with a special preparation and irradiating it with UV light. At CMO LASER, such therapy was introduced in 2007. However, it was a quite time-consuming method (the instillation lasted about 30 minutes, after which the patient had to lie still for another 30 minutes under the UV lamp, which illuminated the cornea).
Keratoconus: the benefits of cross-linking KXL Avedro
CMO LASER - as the first center in Poland - has the most modern cross-linking technique available: KXL Avedro.
- Numerous scientific reports confirm that cross-linking is the first method of keratoconus therapy - says professor Iwona Grabska-Liberek - This means that we do not wait for the cone to progress and perform the procedure when we diagnose this cone. It must be remembered that the taper may appear in children aged 8-10 years and the cross-linking procedure can already be performed then. There are no age restrictions for patients considering laser vision correction. The cross-linking method can be used in patients of all ages.
The problem was the duration of the procedure. Thanks to the modern KXL technique, this treatment time can be shortened to 3 minutes. Therefore, the patient's comfort has increased significantly. Today, the surgery to save the cornea is not only painless but also painlessalso very short. Thanks to this, it can also be offered to children, people with various general diseases (eg Down syndrome).
Cross-linking KXL Avedro: the course of the treatment
The KXL Avedro treatment takes a few minutes - first the eye is anesthetized and instilled with riboflavin. Then - for 3 minutes - exposed to UV rays. It has been proven that greater irradiation power, delivered over a shorter period of time, can strengthen the collagen fibers in the cornea in the same way as with lower irradiation power, but over a longer period of time. KXL offers several options for carrying out the procedure:
- standard - with removal of the corneal epithelium
- in the case of a thin cornea, it is possible to use a special riboflavin that penetrates the epithelium and does not require its removal,
- in the case of a visual defect and a thin KXL cornea, it complements the standard vision correction with a laser
- after implantation of INTACS intracorneal rings
Keratoconus: Causes and Symptoms
The etiology of keratoconus is not fully known. It is known that genetic and environmental factors are responsible for the formation of a cone. Scientific research shows that it occurs more often in the population of children with Down's syndrome or other genetic defects. Keratoconus is a disease that manifests itself as astigmatism. However, it does not mean that every visually impaired person also has a cone. The corneal cone is the result of the abnormal secretion of one of the enzymes responsible for the collagen fibers in the cornea. As a result, the cornea is thinned and its abnormal prominence. Very often it is accompanied by rubbing the eyes by a sick person, photophobia, sometimes keratoconus accompanies skin allergy.
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