Corneal ring implantation method

There is an eye surgery to insert a plastic ring into the middle layer of eye’s cornea to improve your corneal problems such as Keratoconus, which is called Corneal Ring Implantation. Your cornea is the outer layer of your eye which is so clear and protect your eye from microbes. Another function of your cornea is to focus the light into the eye. So if anything happens to your cornea and hurts its shape, the cornea cannot focus the light beams properly. That causes sight problems such as poor vision.

What exactly is a corneal ring ?

The answer is that the corneal rings are two very small curved shape (like an arc) pieces of plastic which would be used in a surgery to reshape the cornea. Their material is a biocompatible plastic (PMMA) that is as same as the intraocular lenses in cataract surgery. So the ring itself is harmless and also it is so clear that no one can see it. The patient can not feel the rings inside his eyes.

Why should I have such an implantation?

Corneal ring implantation is also used to reduce or solve the nearsightedness or astigmatism in patients who have keratoconus and their sight problem cannot be solved with lenses or glasses.

Patients will use corneal ring implants for a long time, but it is also reversible which means, if someone does not meet his expectations or has a problem with that, the surgeon can remove those rings. If the problem is with its size, the rings can be replaced by another pair. There are some situations that you may need to implant the rings again when you get older. Till now, no problems were reported for the replacing or repeating the implantation process of rings.

Corneal ring implantation is a quick and outpatient eye surgery. The way rings work is that, for myopia they would flatten the cornea so it can focus the light beams properly. In keratoconus, the rings must flatten the steep part of the cornea.

Risks and complications

Specialists say that most of the people who had corneal ring implantation have experienced no visual problems or symptoms. But as we know some complication may happen. We mention them below:

• Poor night vision with glares
• Eyes infection may occur
• You may experience an inflammation into your cornea (Keratitis)
• The patient would experience a persistent pain in his eye
• A hole may be created into your eye
• The ring may come out of your eye
• Sometimes the eye would get swollen
• The rings may move into the cornea
• The surgery may not solve your visual problem
• Some other visual problems may occur like astigmatism

All these complications can change by your age or some medical situations. Your eye doctor is the best person who can help you to have a better understanding of your conditions and the complications which may occur following your corneal ring implantation.