تصليب القرنية

What is it?

Corneal cross-linking is a minimally-invasive procedure that is carried out to strengthen the cornea, increasing the collagen-fibre cross-linking.

What is it for?

Corneal cross-linking is done to prevent or halt the progression of keratoconus. In the last few years, it has become the standard care treatment to cure this condition avoiding, in most cases, the need for a corneal graft.

What does it involve?

This treatment doesn’t require admission and it is done in two phases: on the first phase, vitamin B2 drops are placed in your eyes and in the second phase, the corneal tissue is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light at low doses. The combination of these two phases is essential, this is because vitamin B2 and the UV light, when working together, increase the resistance of the most internal layers of the cornea giving it more rigidity.

Post-intervention care

In the 2-3 days following the intervention, you may have the sensation of feeling a foreign body in your eye as well as pain and light-sensitivity. You need at least 2 days rest followed by a few days in which you must avoid reading, watching TV and exposure to agents such as light and dust, which could interfere with the healing process. It is necessary that you sleep between 10 and 12 hours at night and preferably that you don’t expose yourself to too much artificial or natural light.