Your Eyes, Keratoconus, and Intacs

Your Eyes, Keratoconus, and Intacs

In this article

• What Is Keratoconus?
• How Are Intacs Used?
• How Is the Intacs Procedure Performed?
• What Are the Potential Risks of the Intacs Procedure?
• Who Should Not Have an Intacs Procedure?

How Is the Intacs Procedure Performed?

The procedure to insert Intacs is usually done in an outpatient surgery center. This is what happens:

• The doctor numbs the patient's eye with a topical anesthetic.
• To keep the eye open, the doctor places a speculum in the eye. This also keeps the patient from blinking and possibly interfering with the procedure.
• The doctor makes a small incision in the cornea and places a centering guide on the eye to keep it steady. This also helps the doctor make sure that the Intacs will be placed properly.
• After separating the layers of the cornea, the doctor inserts the Intacs and then closes the incision with one suture.

The procedure takes less than 30 minutes to perform. Follow-up includes regular visits to the eye doctor to make sure the eye is healing properly and to determine if vision has improved.

What Are the Potential Risks of the Intacs Procedure?

Possible adverse events that may occur after an Intacs procedure include the following:

• Eye infection
• Problems with night vision
• Seeing "halos" or glare around lights
• Blurry or fluctuating vision

Who Should Not Have an Intacs Procedure?

Those who should not undergo an Intacs procedure include:

• People who are under 21 years old
• Pregnant women
• People who can still see well with contact lenses
• People whose central corneas are not clear
• People who have other eye health problems that may cause future problems
• People taking certain medications that may impair healing of the eye