CAN CONGENITAL ASTIGMATISM BE CURED?

Astigmatism is one of the common refractive errors, affecting the ability to clearly see the shape of objects at all distances - far - near - intermediate. Some people have had astigmatism since childhood (also known as congenital astigmatism), encounter many inconveniences from distorted vision for a long time and want to find a suitable remedy to improve their quality of life. In this article, let's learn about the causes, diagnosis and treatment methods for people with congenital astigmatism with Japan International Eye Hospital.

Illustration of the vision of a person with astigmatism

What is congenital astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a refractive error in the eye, due to the cornea having an irregular spherical shape, causing light rays entering the eye to converge at many points on the retina, thereby making the image blurry and distorted. Congenital astigmatism is a condition in which the patient has astigmatism from birth, due to abnormalities in the structure of the eyeball.

Causes of congenital astigmatism

The cause of congenital astigmatism has not been officially announced by ophthalmologists. However, some studies indicate that genetic factors account for more than 60% of the causes of this condition. In addition, some other common causes may come from the child suffering eye injuries during childbirth, or the mother being infected during pregnancy. 

Congenital astigmatism is predicted to be closely related to genetic factors, pregnancy and childbirth

How to diagnose congenital astigmatism

Children with congenital eye diseases, including astigmatism, are often not detected early due to limited ability to express or the children themselves are not aware of the disease. Therefore, parents need to proactively observe their children's symptoms or take their children to have their eyes examined early at the age of 3 and 6 years old for examination, diagnosis and timely treatment solutions. Children with astigmatism may have symptoms such as frequent squinting, watery eyes, headaches, eye fatigue, etc.

At the Japan International Eye Hospital, the examination and diagnosis process for congenital astigmatism will take place as follows:

Step 1: Automatic refraction with TRK - 2P machine (Topcon - Japan) to determine the degree of astigmatism in the eye, in-depth refraction examination with medical experts on the 3D Vision Chart vision testing system (Topcon - Japan).

Step 2: Examine the pupil with a specialized light to determine the degree of astigmatism and the axis of astigmatism in the patient's eye.

Step 3: In-depth examination with a Ho-lăng watch to determine the axis of astigmatism in the patient's eye.

Children visit the Japan International Eye Hospital

Can congenital astigmatism be cured?

Congenital astigmatism can be corrected by the following two common methods:

Temporary method: Using supporting glasses (glasses, soft contact lenses, Ortho-K hard contact lenses)

Wearing glasses is a widely used temporary method to correct congenital astigmatism, helping to restore clear vision to patients in daily activities. For glasses and soft contact lenses, patients need to pay attention to wearing glasses with the right degree and regularly, choosing a design suitable for the eyes, choosing lens materials that can block blue light and UV rays. For patients over 6 years old who do not want to wear glasses in daily activities and have a refractive power suitable for the treatment threshold (under 15 degrees of nearsightedness, under 10 degrees of farsightedness, under 6 degrees of astigmatism), parents can refer to Ortho-K hard contact lenses that are worn at night and have the ability to reshape the cornea, helping patients to have clear and free vision during the day.

Illustrative image of Ortho-K hard night contact lenses

Definitive method: Performing refractive surgery

Refractive surgery is a safe and effective method to completely treat congenital astigmatism, with a success rate of over 98%. This method is for people over 18 years old, when the refractive power has stabilized (not increasing more than 0.75 diopters in 6 months). Some popular and modern refractive surgery methods that patients should refer to include:

• Phakic surgery: Using an intraocular lens (ICL/IPCL) placed directly behind the iris and in front of the lens to eliminate refractive errors. The astigmatism treatment threshold is up to 10 degrees, and can eliminate 30 degrees of nearsightedness or 15 degrees of farsightedness. The advantage of this method is that it has a wide treatment spectrum, does not affect the corneal structure, does not cause dry eyes, and is especially resistant to UV rays with the ICL lens.
• ReLEx SMILE surgery: Using a Femtosecond Laser to separate the cornea into 3 layers, automatically separate the middle tissue layer and pull it out through a very small incision, thereby eliminating nearsightedness - astigmatism in the eye. The astigmatism treatment threshold is 3 degrees, and can eliminate 10 degrees of nearsightedness. The advantage of this method is that the incision is only 2mm, limiting corneal invasion, limiting post-operative complications (dry eyes, foreign body sensation, glare, infection, flap displacement).
• cornea).
• Femtosecond Lasik surgery: Using Femtosecond Laser to create a corneal flap and using Excimer Laser to project multi-points onto the inner corneal stroma to treat refractive errors. The threshold for treating astigmatism is 6 degrees, and it can eliminate 12 degrees of nearsightedness or 6 degrees of farsightedness. The advantage of this method is that the precise laser cut follows the physiological curve of the eyeball, and the wound recovery speed is fast.
• SBK Lasik surgery: Using Moria SBK knife to create a corneal flap and Excimer Laser to project multi-points to change the corneal structure, thereby eliminating refractive errors on the eye. The treatment threshold is similar to the Femtosecond Lasik surgery mentioned above. The advantage of this method is that the surgical effectiveness has been proven for many years, and the cost is reasonable for the majority of patients.

TS. Dr. Vu Anh Tuan performs refractive surgery at Japan International Eye Hospital

Where is the best place to treat congenital astigmatism?

Japan International Eye Hospital - Address for treating congenital astigmatism according to Japanese standards in Hanoi

Invested and managed by Paris Miki Holdings Group, Japan International Eye Hospital provides a variety of congenital astigmatism treatment methods, with professional examination and surgery procedures, a team of experienced doctors, a modern machinery system, convenient facilities, fast service and reasonable costs. In particular, Japan International Eye Hospital is leading the number of Phakic surgeries in Vietnam, leading the number of Phakic ICL surgeries in Southeast Asia and Australia.

Cost of treating congenital astigmatism at Japan International Eye Hospital

• Astigmatism examination: 180,000 VND - 500,000 VND (depending on the doctor and the age of the patient).
• Ortho-K hard contact lenses: 16,000,000 VND - 20,000,000 VND for 1 pair of glasses (depending on the eye condition and the brand of glasses).
• Phakic surgery: 90,000,000 VND - 100,000,000 VND for 2 eyes (depending on the type of intraocular lens).
• ReLEx SMILE surgery: 45,000,000 VND for 2 eyes.
• Femtosecond Lasik surgery: 38,000,000 VND for 2 eyes.
• SBK Lasik surgery: 24,200,000 VND for 2 eyes.

Some notes on eye care and protection for people with congenital astigmatism

• Regular eye examinations at least once every 6 months to check for astigmatism and have necessary treatment indications.
• Prevent and limit possible eye injuries to limit increased astigmatism.
• Have a healthy lifestyle to improve eye health: supplement foods that are good for the eyes (fish, eggs, milk, fruits, green vegetables, ...), sleep enough 7 - 8 hours a day, maintain 1 - 2 hours of outdoor exercise every day. With the development of modern medicine, congenital astigmatism can be treated temporarily/completely with many different methods safely and effectively. One of the most important things is that patients need to have their eyes examined early by an ophthalmologist to have a timely treatment plan.