Increased gadget use causing Keratoconus: ophthalmologist

Increase in screen time and as a result, dry eyes and frequent rubbing, has led to an increased incidence of Keratoconus, a condition in which the front part of the cornea thins and bulges outward into a cone shape leading to visual loss, according to ophthalmologist Mohan Rajan.

Recently, a team of Rajan Eye Care Hospital performed a corneal transplant on a 12-year-old boy from Bengaluru. He complained of poor vision in both eyes and was diagnosed with severe Keratoconus. He underwent partial thickness corneal transplant — DALK (deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty) — in the right eye under general anaesthesia, according to a press release.

“The incidence of Keratoconus (conical cornea) is becoming more as most of the children are glued to gadgets such as computers. As a result, more children have dry eyes and frequent rubbing. They develop cylindrical power, and when this goes up, it produces thinning of the cornea. The vision becomes blurred. The boy had Keratoconus in both eyes,” Dr. Rajan, chairman of Rajan Eye Care Hospital, said.

Keratoconus could be familial. “The incidence of myopia, astigmatism has gone up as people are glued to gadgets,” Dr. Rajan said.

A five-year-old girl from Bala Mandir underwent corneal transplant. She had a dense corneal scar secondary to birth injury and was totally blind in the left eye. She underwent partial thickness corneal transplant under general anaesthesia.

Dr. Rajan said post-surgery, both children had 90% vision. He along with doctors Sujatha Mohan and Jeenendhar Gothi, chief anaesthesiologist, were part of the team. The transplant was done free of cost through Rotary Paediatric Eye Surgery Project of Chennai Vision Charitable Trust, Rajan Eye Care Hospital and Rotary Rajan Eye Bank.

The bank has till date performed more than 4,000 free corneal transplant surgeries, the release said.