We have 4 fellowship trained corneal specialists available for consultation and surgery. Dr Roger Saulson and Dr. Shane Kim practice at our East Portland, Gresham and NE locations. Dr. Kerry Hagen and Dr. Sonal Dave practice at our Northwest, Barnes Rd and King City locations.

The Cornea is like a crystal covering a clock face. It is a clear round dome covering the iris, the colored ring in the center of the eye, and the pupil, the black circle in the middle of the iris. The cornea plays an important role in vision by helping to focus light as it enters the eye.

The cornea is especially susceptible to injury. Foreign objects, abrasions, sports injuries, and chemical burns can all lead to serious harm and even blindness. Proper and timely care of an injured cornea is critical to insure the best outcome. The doctors at EyeHealth Northwest work closely with the Emergency Room staff at all of the major hospitals in the Portland metropolitan area. An EyeHealth Northwest physician is available for emergency call 24 hours a day. Answering service operators are accessible through our clinic phone

Keratoconus, pronounced KEHR-uh-toh-KOH-nus, is an uncommon condition in which a normally round, dome-like cornea becomes thin and develops a cone-like bulge. Keratoconus can make some activities difficult such as driving, typing on a computer, watching television or reading.

Symptoms

Keratoconus usually affects both eyes. Symptoms usually start to occur in people who are in their late teens and early twenties and may include:

• Mild blurring of vision
• Slight distortion of vision
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Glare
• Mild eye irritation

The rate of progression varies. Keratoconus will often progress slowly for 10 to 20 years and then stop.

As the condition progresses, most common symptoms include:

• Increased blurring and distortion of vision
• Increased near-sighted or astigmatism
• Frequent eye prescription changes
• Inability to wear contact lens

Causes

The cause of keratoconus is still not known. Some researchers believe that genetics play a role. An estimated 10% of people with keratoconus also have family members with the condition

Treatment

You should refrain from rubbing your eyes. This can aggravate the cornea tissue and make symptoms worse.

During the early stages, vision can be corrected with eyeglasses. As the condition progresses, Rigid Gas Permeable contact may be worn to correct distorted vision.

When good vision is no longer possible with contact lens, a corneal transplant may be recommended. Corneal transplant is only necessary in about 10-20% of patients with keratoconus. During a corneal transplant, the diseased cornea from the eye is replaced with a healthy donor cornea. Of all conditions requiring corneal transplants, keratonconus has the best prognosis for clear vision.

A cornea abrasion is an injury to the surface layer of the cornea. Abrasions are commonly caused by fingernail scratches, paper cuts, makeup brushes, scrapes from a tree or brush limbs.

Symptoms

Symptoms of an abrasion can feel like the following:

• The feeling that something is in the eye
• Pain and soreness of the eye
• Redness of the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Tearing
• Blurred vision

Treatment

Treatment may include the following:

• Patching the injured eye to prevent eyelid blinking and irritating the injurty
• Applying lubricating eyedrops or ointment to the eye to form a soothing layer between the eyelid and abrasion
• Using antibiotics to prevent infection
• Wearing a special contact lens to help healing

Minor abrasions usually heal within a day or two; larger abrasions usually take about one week. It is important not to rub the eye while healing.

Prevention

For maximum protection:

• Use proper eyewear when using power tools, mowing the lawn and performing other yard work, playing sports, and while working around wood and steel.
• Regularly clip your infants or young child’s fingernails
• Follow the instruction on how to wear and care for your contact lens.

Corneal erosion is caused by a loose attachment of the surface layer of the cornea to the underlying tissue. It may occur spontaneously, often after awakening in the morning.

Symptoms

• The feeling that something is in the eye
• Pain and soreness of the eye
• Redness of the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Tearing
• Blurred vision

Treatment

Treatment may include the following:

• Patching the injured eye to prevent eyelid blinking and irritating the injurty
• Applying lubricating eyedrops or ointment to the eye to form a soothing layer between the eyelid and abrasion
• Using antibiotics to prevent infection
• Wearing a special contact lens to help healing

• Gentle removing of the damaged tissue
• Removal of a small layer of cells using a laser
• Anterior Stromal Puncture. This procedure involves making tiny holes on the surface of the cornea to promote stronger attachments between the top layer of corneal cells and the layer of cornea underneath

Prevention

For maximum protection:

• Use proper eyewear when using power tools, mowing the lawn and performing other yard work, playing sports, and while working around wood and steel.
• Regularly clip your infants or young child’s fingernails

Follow the instruction on how to wear and care for your contact lens.

Fuchs' Corneal Dystrophy is an inherited condition involving the microscopic cells that make up the cornea. The disease reduced the numbers of cell in the cornea’s inner layer which causes the remaining cell to become abnormally thick or swollen.

Fuchs’ dystrophy is a progressive disease, over time, the changes to the cornea cells may interfere with vision.

Symptoms

In the early stages, Fuchs’ patients notice glare and light sensitivity. As the dystrophy progresses, the vision may seem blurred in the morning and sharper later in the day. This happens because the internal layers of the cornea tend to retain more moisture during sleep that evaporates when the eyes are open. As the dystrophy worsens, the vision becomes continuously blurred.

Treatment

Fuchs’ cannot be cured; however, with certain medications, blurred vision resulting from the corneal swelling can be controlled.

• Eye Drops to lessen the swelling of the cells in the cornea.
• Hold a hair dryer at arm’s length, blowing air into the face with the eyes closed. This technique draws moisture from the cornea, temporarily decreases swelling, and improves the vision.
• Corneal transplant is indicated when the vision deteriorates to the point that it impairs the patient’s ability to function normally. Ophthalmologists have excellent success rates performing corneal transplants, with over 40,000 procedures completed each year. Of all transplant surgeries, cornea are the most common and successful

A pterygium is a wing-shaped fibrovascular connective tissue that grows from conjunctiva (a clear membrane that covers the white if the eye and the inner eyelids) over the cornea. Sometimes referred to as a "Texas cataract" it is seen in individuals who spend time outdoors such as farmers, fisherman and skiers. It is felt that exposure to sun, wind, and ultraviolet light promotes growth of this tissue. Conservative treatment includes artificial tears and wearing sunglasses. If vision is affected, the tissue can be surgically removed.

Keratitis

Keratitis is a nonspecific term meaning inflammation of the cornea.

Causes

• Dry eye syndrome
• Contact lens problems
• Inadequate eyelid closure
• Infections by bacteria or viruses
• systemic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
• Herpes zoster (shingles) and the related herpes simplex virus

Treatment

Treatment of keratitis depends on the cause but usually involves antibiotic and/or steroid eye drops. Occasionally systemic treatment with an oral medication is required as well.