Atwal Eyecare only Area Eye Practice in WNY to offer Corneal Cross-Linking
Atwal Eye Care announced that it is now offering the first and only Corneal Cross-Linking treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for progressive keratoconus, a progressive and sight-threatening eye condition that affects more than 160,000 Americans. Corneal cross-linking is used to stiffen corneas that have been weakened by disease. Without treatment, patients may go on to require corneal transplants.
In keratoconus patients, the typically round, dome-shaped cornea progressively thins and weakens, causing the development of a cone-like bulge that produces optical irregularities that affect vision. A rare condition, keratoconus typically appears in individuals who are in their late teens or early twenties. Early symptoms include blurring or distortion of vision or increased sensitivity to light.
Corneal cross-linking is a medical procedure that combines the use of ultra-violet (UV) light and riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops. The procedure works by creating new corneal collagen cross-links, which results in a shortening and thickening of collagen fibrils that leads to the stiffening of the cornea. Cross-linking, which has been performed in Europe since 2003, is considered the standard of care around the world for keratoconus.
“Corneal cross-linking is beneficial to my patients in that it offers them a therapeutic option to limit the progression of keratoconus,” said Dr. Ephraim Atwal. “The FDA approval of corneal cross-linking offers new treatment options for appropriate patients who, until now, had few options to help with their vision challenges and no therapeutic treatment for these sight-threatening conditions,” said Dr. Atwal.
