The use of intracorneal ring segments in keratoconus

Abstract

Keratoconus is a corneal degeneration that usually appears during puberty and may seriously deteriorate the quality of life of the patients. This corneal disease is today the first indication of corneal transplantation in young patients. Until the last decade of the XX century, keratoplasty procedures were the only alternative to treat this pathological condition. In the beginning of the XXI century, intracorneal ring segments implantation was proposed as a therapeutic choice for treating keratoconus patients. Since then, several published articles have reported the benefits of this surgical procedure in treating this type of corneal ectatic disorder. The purpose of the present investigative work is to summarize the characteristic of the intracorneal ring segments and also to review the different features published in the literature in relation to this surgical technique for the treatment of keratoconus patients.

Keywords: Corneal ectasia; Intracorneal rings; Keratoconus.

Fig. 1

Intracorneal ring segment Keraring (Mediphacos)

Fig. 2

Intracorneal ring segment Intacs (Addition technologies)

Fig. 3

Topography of a patient implanted with a Myoring (Dioptex) showing the significantly flattening that is observed in the postoperative period: Map A: postoperative topography showing an average SimK of 58.32 D, Map B: preoperative topography showing an average SimK of 42.59 D)

Fig. 4

Neovascularization of an ICRS