UltraVision Laser Eye Surgery in San Antonio, TX

Intacs eye surgery is a type of refractive surgery in which your UltraVision doctor implants Intacs, or intracorneal ring segments, into your cornea.Intacs are two thin, crescent-shaped plastic rings that are placed on the outer edge of the cornea. Once they’re in place, they flatten the cornea, which helps to properly focus light on the retina.Although Intacs are intended for long-term vision correction, they may be replaced down the road with a different size implant if your vision changes. You can also have Intacs implants removed; however, after about three months, your vision will return to the way it was before the implants.

What conditions are corrected with Intacs surgery?

Your doctor may recommend Intacs to correct nearsightedness or myopia, which is when you can clearly see close-up objects but distance vision is blurry. However, the Intacs rings are primarily implanted to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism caused by keratoconus.

What is keratoconus?

Keratoconus occurs when your cornea becomes thin and begins to bulge away from your eye in the shape of a cone. Since the cornea bends light to focus it on the retina, this change in shape causes blurry and distorted vision.

This condition typically starts during the late teens and early 20s, then worsens over the next 10-20 years. In some patients, however, the cornea may swell, making the condition rapidly worsen.

Intacs implants correct vision problems due to keratoconus and they may prevent or delay progressive worsening of the condition.

What should you expect during and after Intacs surgery?

Your Intacs surgery lasts about 15 minutes. After administering anesthetizing eye drops and a mild oral sedative, if needed, your UltraVision doctor creates a small tunnel to hold the implants, chooses the ring thickness needed for your eyes, then inserts the Intacs.

Most patients have improved vision the day after surgery, but you’ll need several days to heal. You won’t be able to feel the implants, and others can’t see them unless they closely examine your eyes.

Depending on the severity of your keratoconus, you may not need lenses to help correct your vision. Advanced cases of keratoconus may need rigid gas permeable contact lenses to further improve their vision or to delay a corneal transplant.