New Microwave Treatment May End Cornea Transplants

Those hundreds of patients, who suffer from cornea problems, can happily bid goodbye to transplants.

A new microwave treatment could prevent hundreds of cornea patients a year needing a transplant.

In a new treatment specialists are using microwave probe to heat the cornea to around 60 degree Celsius, a procedure that corrects rugby-ball eye - the abnormal shape caused by keratoconus, reports Sky News.

Corneal Ulcer - Causes - Symptoms - Diagnosis - Treatment - FAQs
A corneal ulcer (ulcerative keratitis/eyesore) is an open sore on the cornea.

The temperature causes the front of the eye to shrink, restoring a normal spherical shape.

This is then 'locked-in' with a burst of ultra-violet light, preventing further deterioration of the eye.

Imran Rahman, consultant ophthalmologist at the Manchester Face and Eye Clinic said many sufferers have such distorted eyeballs that they are unable to use normal contact lenses or spectacles to correct their vision.

Keratoconus - Causes - Signs - Symptoms - Diagnosis - Treatment - FAQs
Keratoconus is a bilateral condition affecting both the eyes. Usually one eye is more severely affected than the other. Both males and females are equally affected.

But he said that the new keraflex procedure is highly effective: "The difference in the visual acuity can be remarkable.

"We hope patients have really good unaided vision, something they have not had for many years," he added.

Laser Vision Correction Surgery - Types - FAQs
Techniques using laser allow faster recovery rates when compared to the older modalities. LASIK is the most popular and widely accepted vision surgery in our country.

But The Royal College of Ophthalmologists said more trials are needed to confirm the benefits of the procedure.

President Professor Harminda Dua said: "It is promising but we want to see more research to show it is safe and effective in the long term."

Quiz on Eye
The eyes are the most complex part of the body after the brain. To learn more about the eye, its functions and the diseases that affect the eye participate in this quiz.

Source-ANI