Jordans’ Keratoconus Journey:Blurring Vision
In 2019, Jordan began to notice a decline in vision in his Left Eye, realizing it was only when one eye was closed, the left, that he would experience blurriness. This greatly concerned him, as he found it strange that his right eye could see well. He had also noted worsened vision at night.
Thinking there might be need to get spectacles to correct his vision problem, he made an appointment for an eye exam for glasses, only to realize that there was a bigger culprit to his vision problems than he thought. Jordan recounts his diagnosis with Keratoconus in the narration below;
Identifying the Culprit
“I first visited Eagle Eye Laser Centre to get glasses. It was during the exam with the optometrist that he observed that while my vision in the Right Eye was 20/20, my Left Eye had what he called high Astigmatism and suggested need for further examination on suspicion of a cornea issue. I was scheduled an examination with an ophthalmologist, Prof. Ilako; who carefully examined my eyes and recommended a topography test on both eyes.
She reviewed the results and explained that the topography had revealed a condition known as keratoconus in my Left Eye. She explained in detail about the disease and particularly about Keratoconus being a progressive condition as well as the available treatment of Corneal crosslinking;which she recommended I undergo in my Left Eye. This now made it clear, why I was experiencing poor vision and why glasses alone could not solve be a solution”
Explainer: Corneal crosslinking is a surgery that combines the use of riboflavin eye drops and eye ultraviolet light from a special machine to strengthen the structure of the cornea. The aim is to keep the cornea from bulging/thinning further and thus arrest the progression of keratoconus.
Explainer: Corneal topography is a non-invasive imaging of the cornea for mapping the surface curvature of the cornea, useful to screen patients for normal corneal shape patterns and ruling out suspicious or keratoconus patterns.
Strengthening the Cornea
“As with any doctor’s recommendation for a patient to undergo a surgical treatment, this news left me rather anxious, but the team at Eagle Eye laser center walked me through the treatment process and similarly the after care and addressed the concerns that I had. A little after, say about three months from my initial diagnosis,I underwent Cross-linking on my left eye.
Following the treatment, my recovery phase went well. I continued with follow up care, which is usually recommended up to a year after treatment and now I can happily report marked improvement in vision in my left, especially after being fitted with glasses.”
Moving Forward.
“My follow up reports show that my Keratoconus is stable and my Right Eye is being monitored for signs of Keratoconus ,which at times can affect both eyes. My vision has greatly improved with glasses and I now have a better understanding of what has been ailing my sight.”
What can be said about My Care?“I felt I was in the right hands
I commend the Doctors and Staff at eagle eye for their great service, and their attention to patient-centered care. I was a happy client from the beginning to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of my condition. I would highly recommend visiting the clinic be it for a general eye check-up or treatment.”
Jordan Ngalo