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Intac Lenses

Dr. Anjali Pathak treats patients at

Medical Building Two
Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
10 Barnes West Drive, Suite 201
Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Phone: 314-996-3300 Fax: 314-996-3490
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Question: I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with keratoconus in my 20s. Contact lenses no longer help with the blurring and distortion. Is my only option corneal transplants?

Answer: In mild cases of keratoconus, glasses or soft contact lenses can help. In more severe cases gas permeable lenses are an option. Unfortunately, there are no medications that will prevent progression of this disease. Kertoconus is an inherited disorder of the eye where progressive thinning occurs in the central or lower portion of the cornea.

With this thinning, the eye becomes more nearsighted and develops higher amounts of astigmatism. Eventually, some patients have thinning to the point that they are unable to be fit with contact lenses. Until recently, a person’s only other option was corneal transplantation.

The FDA has now approved Intacs for the treatment of keratoconus to improve vision and reduce distortion. This procedure involves placement of two plastic rings within the periphery of the cornea.

These ring segments, which can be removed or exchanged, maintain a more natural corneal shape to the eye and help to restore vision. For many people, it has served as an intermediate step between contact lenses and corneal transplantation.

In some cases, Intacs delays the need for corneal transplantation. The purpose of Intacs is to reduce corneal steepening to the point that you are able to return to wearing contact lenses or glasses with good vision results.

Intacs are an additive technology – which means the Intac rings work with glasses or contact lenses to provide you with your best corrected vision. You may be a candidate for Intacs if you have contact lens intolerance due to keratoconus.

An eye surgeon should determine whether you have adequate corneal thickness to meet the criteria as an Intacs candidate. The best way to find out if you are a candidate is to have your vision evaluated by an eye surgeon with significant experience in corneal disease, who performs this procedure.