An ophthalmologist who specializes in cornea and refractive surgery is a doctor who has expertise in treating corneal abnormalities and treating refractive disorders, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and cylinder eyes. This subspecialist doctor is also capable of performing various eye surgery methods.
Eye disorders are very diverse, ranging from mild to severe. Minor eye problems, such as conjunctivitis, usually clear up on their own within 1-2 weeks.
Meanwhile, eye disorders that are classified as severe are sometimes permanent and often interfere with vision, one of which is refractive errors, such as cylinder eyes (astigmatism), farsightedness (myopia), and farsightedness (hypermetropia).
This visual impairment can be treated by an ophthalmologist who specializes in cornea and refractive surgery. Refractive surgery is an operation to treat visual acuity problems or refractive errors by repairing the structure of the cornea.
Diseases Treated by Corneal Ophthalmologists and Refractive Surgeons
The following are some of the visual disorders that can be treated by an ophthalmologist specializing in corneal and retractive surgery:
1. Astigmatism
Astigmatism or cylindrical eye is a visual disturbance due to abnormalities in the curvature of the cornea or lens. This condition can cause blurred vision, both at close and far distances.
There are several symptoms that can be caused by astigmatism, including difficulty seeing at night, eyes feeling tired easily, often squinting when looking at things, sensitive eyes to light, and frequent dizziness.
For severe conditions, people with astigmatism can experience double vision and difficulty focusing.
2. Myopia
Myopia or nearsightedness is one of the refractive errors of the eye. This condition occurs because the shape of the eye is too curved, so that the focus of light entering the eye does not fall directly on the retina of the eye, but in front of it. As a result, objects that are far away will appear blurry.
Nearsighted people will have difficulty seeing objects or reading writing that is far away, for example writing on a blackboard or traffic signs. Myopia can be treated with the use of glasses or minus contact lenses and laser surgery on the cornea of the eye called LASIK.
3. Hypermetropia
Nearsightedness or hypermetropia is a short-sightedness disorder. People with plus eye or hypermetropia are usually able to see objects that are far away clearly, but objects that are near appear blurry or blurry.
Hypermetropia occurs due to the shape of the cornea that is too flat or the eyeball is concave. This condition can be treated with the use of glasses or plus contact lenses and refractive surgery on the cornea of the eye.
4. Keratoconus
The normal eye cornea is clear and slightly convex. The curvature and clarity of the cornea serves to capture light and focus it on the retina for clear vision. However, in certain cases, the cornea of the eye can thin and change shape so that it looks like a cone. This deformity of the cornea of the eye is called keratoconus. Keratoconus can cause blurred vision and make the sufferer easily glare.
In the early stages, the use of glasses or soft contact lenses can be a solution for people with keratoconus. However, if this condition gets worse, the doctor will recommend a corneal transplant procedure.
5. Fuchs dystrophy
Fuchs' dystrophy, also known as corneal dystrophy, is a disease in which cells in the corneal layer of the eye experience a gradual decline in function or die. These cells function to pump fluid from the cornea to keep it clean.
When the cells in the corneal lining die, fluid in the cornea builds up and causes the cornea to swell. As a result, vision will be farsighted or blurred.
In the early stages, Fuchs dystrophy can cause complaints of blurred vision in the morning. However, at an advanced stage, sufferers of this condition can experience visual disturbances throughout the day. In addition, Fuchs' dystrophy can also cause symptoms in the form of eyes feeling lumpy or uncomfortable and easy to glare.
6. Pterygium
Pterygium is an eye disease characterized by the growth of a yellowish or reddish membrane on the white part of the eyeball. This condition can occur in one or both eyes at once.
If left untreated, this membrane can widen over time and cover part or all of the cornea of the eye. When it closes the cornea, pterygium can cause visual disturbances or double vision.
7. Keratitis
Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea of the eye. This disease usually occurs as a result of infection, injury, or injury to the cornea of the eye. Keratitis can cause symptoms in the form of red eyes, easy glare, painful and swollen eyes, watery eyes, a lumpy sensation in the eyes, and blurry vision.
If not treated immediately, keratitis can cause severe damage to the cornea of the eye, such as a corneal ulcer. This can result in impaired vision or even permanent blindness.
8. Keratoconjunctivitis
Keratoconjunctivitis is a condition when the cornea of the eye and the inside of the eyelid (conjunctiva) become inflamed. This disease can be caused by various things, such as bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections, allergic reactions or irritation of the eyes, to autoimmune disorders.
Symptoms of keratoconjunctivitis can vary, including red eyes, swollen eyelids, watery and itchy eyes, a lumpy sensation in the eyes, and blurred vision.
Procedures Performed by Corneal Surgeons and Refractive Surgeons
To detect and diagnose eye vision problems experienced by patients, the doctor will perform several types of eye examinations which include examination of the pupil, eye movement, retina and eye nerves, eye pressure, and examination of eye refraction.
In addition, the doctor may also perform additional examinations, such as:
- Keratometry, to measure the curvature of the cornea with the help of an instrument known as a keratometer
- Corneal topography, to evaluate the eye's ability to focus light
- Inspection slit lamp, to examine the condition of the cornea, pupil, lens, as well as the retina and the optic nerve with special tools such as a microscope
Doctors can also perform blood and urine tests as well as radiological examinations of the eye, such as X-rays, ultrasound, and CT scans, to detect abnormalities and diagnose eye diseases in patients.
After the diagnosis of the patient's disease is known, the doctor will treat the disease with the following treatments:
Administration of drugs
Ophthalmologists who specialize in cornea and refractive surgery can prescribe several types of drugs according to the eye disease experienced by the patient and the cause. These drugs can be in the form of eye drops or oral medication.
For example, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroid medications to reduce inflammation and swelling of the eye, antibiotics to treat bacterial eye infections caused by bacteria, and antihistamines to treat itchy eyes due to allergies.
LASIK
LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) is a laser-assisted procedure to correct the shape of the cornea of the eye. LASIK is a refractive surgery method to improve vision in patients with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a corneal refractive surgery that is similar to LASIK, but is aimed more at patients with thinner corneas. In the PRK procedure, the doctor will remove and remove the corneal epithelium in the eye. Recovery time from PRK surgery is generally slightly longer than LASIK procedures.
LASEK
LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) is a variation of PRK. Both have the same results and side effects. It's just that in LASEK the doctor will remove and restore the corneal epithelial tissue in the eye. This procedure can be done to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, cylinder eyes, and presbyopia.
Permanent eyepiece
Corneal refractive surgery cannot be performed on patients with certain eye diseases, such as cataracts and severe damage to the corneal tissue of the eye. In this case, the doctor will advise the patient to undergo eye lens replacement surgery so that the quality of his vision improves.
Permanent lens placement involves using an artificial lens to replace the eyepiece. In this procedure, no tissue is removed so recovery is shorter than other corneal refractive surgeries.
Keratoplasty
Keratoplasty or corneal transplant is surgery to replace the damaged cornea of the eye with a healthy cornea. This procedure is usually done with a local anesthetic. This surgery is usually performed in cases of permanent corneal damage, such as corneal ulcers, keratoconus, and Fuchs' dystrophy.
When to See an Ophthalmologist for Corneal and Refractive Surgeon?
You may receive a referral from your general practitioner or ophthalmologist to see an ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal and refractive surgery. This is usually done if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- A flash of light appears in one or both eyes
- There is a shadow like a curtain on the vision
- Eyes feel sore and dizzy
- Headache
- Can't see at all or blind
Things that need to be prepared before consulting an ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal and refractive surgery
So that the examination and treatment carried out by an ophthalmologist who specializes in cornea and refractive surgery can run smoothly, there are several preparations that you should do, namely:
- Make notes regarding the history of eye disease and medical treatment that has been done, including the types of medicines, supplements, and herbal medicines that are being used.
- Make a list of questions to ask the doctor, such as treatment options to treat the disease you are experiencing, the risks of the treatment, and the estimated cost required.
- Make sure the hospital you are going to has worked with BPJS or the insurance you are using, if you want to take advantage of BPJS or insurance.
Regular check-ups with an ophthalmologist are highly recommended if you have factors that can increase your risk of developing vision problems. Examination should be done regularly so that visual disturbances can be detected as early as possible.
