"Our
achievements in Keratoconus will continue with the
goal of restoring useful vision to many of these patients
without needing a complete corneal transplant."
- David J. Schanzlin, M.D.
David
J. Schanzlin, M.D., Professor and Director of Keratorefractive
Surgery, delivered his presentation “Corneal Reconstructive
Surgery: New Views on an Old Problem” to Circle
of Sight members on Tuesday, February 15, 2005. The focus
of his talk was on Keratoconus and how advancements in
refractive surgery are helping the diagnosis and treatment
of this disease.
Dr. Schanzlin began the lecture with a brief anatomy of
the eye and the different types of refractive eye conditions:
nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia),
and astigmatism (corneal shape is steep in one direction
and flat in the other direction). Keratoconus is a genetic
disease of the cornea with progressive thinning of its
structure leading to a cone shape.This results in mixed
myopic and irregular astigmatism. Dr. Schanzlin talked
about the demographics of the disease,stating that recent
estimates vary from 2 to 3 out of 100 people have this
vision distortion.
Dr.
Schanzlin discussed corneal transplantation as a treatment
for Keratoconus and the accompanying issues with this
option. He said that about 18%of patients reject the transplant
and many experience continue dastigmatism. He was instrumental
in developing Intacs® as a new treatment option for
Keratoconus. The first case was performed in 1997 in France,
which resulted in reduction in myopia and astigmatism.
Last year, the FDA approved Intacs® for the treatment
of myopia and astigmatism associated with Keratoconus.
Left to right: David J. Schanzlin, M.D., Dorothy Schanzlin,
Ernest Schanzlin, and Nancy Schanzlin
Dr.
Schanzlin has seen many cases of surgically induced Keratoconus
after LASIK, with an estimated 1 in 2000 LASIK procedures
resulting in the condition. Thanks to advancements in
technology, Dr. Schanzlin is now able to treat these patients.
One of these advancements is the IntraLase® Femtosecond
laser. Dr. Schanzlin noted that Stuart I. Brown, M.D.,
Professor and Director at Shiley, significantly contributed
to the development of this laser, which enables our surgeons
to cut inside the eye without damaging the surrounding
tissue.
Dr.
Schanzlin left the audience with the important message
that the Shiley Eye Center utilizes only the most scientifically
advanced refractive surgery technology in the treatment
of corneal diseases.
To
attend a lecture or if you are interested in becoming
a member of the Circle of Sight, please call 858-534-8017.
