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Corneal Ring Segments Improve Vision For Patients With Keratoconus

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- May 26, 2003 -- Corneal ring segments, marketed under the name Intacs, improve vision in patients with keratoconus, an ocular condition in which thin corneas bulge forward causing a deterioration of vision. This is the conclusion of a study appearing in the May issue of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Eye M.D. Association.

In this study of 74 eyes of 50 patients, conducted by surgeon Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD, Boxer Wachler Vision Institute, Beverly Hills, Calif., implantation of Intacs was found to significantly improve uncorrected and best-spectacle corrected visual acuity in patients with keratoconus, whether they had corneal scarring or not. Thirty-three eyes, or 45 percent, gained two or more eye-chart lines of best-corrected visual acuity, and 53 eyes, or 72 percent, gained two or more lines in uncorrected visual acuity. Intacs are small, crescent-shaped pieces of plastic implanted in the periphery of the cornea to flatten the slope of the central cornea.

Dr. Boxer Wachler, lead author of the study, said, "Patients with keratoconus are often fitted with rigid, gas-permeable contact lenses, which can cause corneal scarring. If they develop contact lens intolerance, they often proceed to corneal transplants. The use of Intacs seems to be an ideal solution, since it is a less invasive surgical intervention that changes the curvature of the cornea without removing tissue. It also provides good visual outcomes, and helps patients avoid the risks of corneal transplantation."

Academy spokesperson Ernest Kornmehl, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts School of Medicine and Medical Director, Kornmehl Laser Eye Associates, said, "This is a very promising study. There is great benefit to avoiding corneal transplants. However, because follow-up in this study ranges from one to 20 months, longer term follow-up will be needed to determine if the results are stable."

This is the largest study on correction of keratoconus with corneal ring segments. According to the National Eye Institute, approximately one in every 2,000 people in the United States suffer from this condition.

Intacs are made by Addition Technology, Inc., of Fremont, Calif.


SOURCE: American Academy of Ophthalmology

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