At Hill Vision Services, we provide comprehensive corneal eye care that is unmatched in the St. Louis area. From the treatment and prevention of corneal disorders, to eliminating the need for prescription eyewear, our ophthalmologists provide personalized, conscientious care that is directed toward the best visual outcomes and customer service possible. Contact us today to get started!
Treatment of Common Corneal Disorders
The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped structure at the front of the eye. This central, outer surface may become cloudy or develop an irregular shape, both of which can significantly limit a person’s ability to see. This can be caused by a number of corneal disorders, including:
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Corneal abrasion or erosion
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Herpes simplex keratitis
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Fuch’s dystrophy (and other corneal dystrophies)
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Keratoconus or corneal ectasia
Hill Vision Services specializes in the treatment of patients with these corneal disorders. We offer a variety of cutting edge services to treat corneal diseases and diminish their vision-altering effects. These include DMEK, corneal transplantation, corneal crosslinking, and more.
Corneal Crosslinking
Corneal crosslinking is the only FDA approved treatment that can halt the progression of keratoconus or corneal ectasia. These disorders – keratoconus and corneal ectasia – result in the cornea shape becoming stretched, warped, or irregular, leading to blurry vision. Corneal crosslinking is used to strengthen the cornea and save further vision loss.
Hill Vision Services is proud to be a part of the Avedro Center of Excellence network, offering KXL corneal crosslinking. KXL crosslinking is an in-office procedure that includes using Avedro’s FDA approved KXL light source, FDA approved medications, and follows an FDA approved procedure protocol. This method has been used all over the world for many years, and is the gold-standard protocol for corneal crosslinking. KXL is the first and only FDA approved system to safely perform corneal crosslinking with precision and accuracy.
If you would like to learn more about keratoconus or KXL corneal crosslinking, visit The National Keratoconus Foundation.
Cornea Transplant
Corneal Transplantation is a surgery to replace some or all of the cornea that has become cloudy from disease or injury. Different techniques of corneal transplantation may be used depending on the disease.
For example, corneal transplantation may be used for patients who have a severe scarring from corneal diseases like herpes simplex or keratoconus. Replacing the cloudy cornea with clear corneal tissue from an organ donor can restore vision in these cases.
The most common reason for transplantation in the United States is a genetic disease called Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy.
In such cases, our highly trained experts will do a partial thickness corneal transplant called DMEK (stands for Descemet’s Membrane endothelial keratoplasty), which can achieve excellent visual outcomes. In fact, Dr. Geoffrey Hill was the first cornea specialist in the St. Louis area performing the DMEK technique regularly in private practice. Contact us to learn more about which type of corneal transplant is right for you.
LASIK & Refractive Surgery
For patients who have healthy corneas and otherwise healthy eyes, you may be a candidate for LASIK and refractive surgery. This short, painless, and blade-free procedure can correct your vision so that you will no longer require glasses or contacts. Imagine being able to wake up and see the world clearly without needing to wear contacts or glasses!
To learn more about this corneal service, visit our LASIK & PRK page.
Contact Our Team for all of your Cornea Needs!
Whether patients have a corneal disease that requires the most advanced corneal transplant techniques or a patient simply wants to pursue LASIK to improve their visual acuity, we can provide a variety of cornea services that fit any need. Contact Hill Vision Services now!