Intacs corneal inserts or implants are a less invasive surgical option used for correcting bulging or irregularity of the cornea, the front window of the eye. Intacs were originally approved by the FDA in 1999 to treat mild nearsightedness (myopia). However, Intacs are now primarily used to reshape bulging, thin, and/or irregular corneas. Intacs are thin, clear half-rings or semicircular segments of plastic that can be inserted into the cornea to provide support for the cornea and help make its shape more circular (instead of oval).
In 2004, the FDA granted Intacs a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) to allow for surgical treatment of keratoconus. Keratoconus is a condition where the collagen in the cornea is weaker, so that the shape of the cornea changes and bulges. This approval allows Intacs to be marketed for reduction or elimination of nearsightedness and astigmatism in keratoconus patients where functional vision is no longer obtained with glasses or contact lenses.
For keratoconus patients who are contact lens intolerant, Intacs provide a new option to improve both corrected and uncorrected vision, and may defer the need for a corneal transplant. Laser vision correction, such as LASIK, is usually not an option in keratoconus because sculpting and removing tissue with the excimer laser would further thin and weaken an already weakened cornea.
Intacs procedures are performed by fellowship-trained corneal surgeons, such as the cornea specialists at Pepose Vision Institute.