Dene Rorie was diagnosed with keratoconus at age 20 which caused pain and blurred vision in both eyes. Keratoconus causes the cornea to weaken and bulge into a cone shape, distorting and reducing vision. After her condition worsened and she developed hydrops in her left eye, she was referred to Dr. Stanley Braverman who treated her with collagen cross-linking surgery. This FDA-approved procedure strengthens the cornea and halts the progression of keratoconus. After undergoing the procedure in both eyes, Dene's vision cleared and her pain resolved.

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Eight years ago, when she was only 20,
Dene Rorie began to experience pain in
her eyes and blurry vision. Her primary
care physician sent her to Dr. Dan
Llewellyn, optometrist, who diagnosed her
with Keratoconus, a condition in which
the cornea, the clear tissue in front of the
eye, slowly weakens, becomes misshapen,
and bulges outward into the shape of a
cone. Keratoconus can rarely be very
painful and always distorts and reduces
vision. Dene had the condition in both
eyes.
Symptoms of Keratoconus usually first
appear in early teen or young adult years,
such as in the case of Dene. Its cause is
unknown, but researchers suggest that the
weakening of the corneal tissue that leads
to Keratoconus may be due to an enzyme
imbalance in the cornea that makes it
more susceptible to oxidative damage.
Since the condition has appeared in
families such as Dene’s, susceptibility to
having it may be due to an inherited gene,
but not necessarily so.
Because of the irritation and itching it
creates, Keratoconus can also be caused or
worsened by increased rubbing of the
eyes. It is a chronic condition that slowly
worsens and lasts a lifetime. Symptoms
can include blurred vision and sensitivity
to light and glare. In later stages, scarring
can develop in the area of the corneal
bulge, which can cause pain and further
decre-ased vision
Dr. Llewellyn advised Dene that
possibly, she would need surgery to slow
progression and help prevent more
damage. Meanwhile, he prescribed contact
lenses that could help with her vision.
However, the pain persisted and her vision
worsened. Then one morning last year,
Dene woke up unable to see at all out of
her left eye. Upon examination, Dr.
Llewellyn saw fluid build-up inside the
cornea, medically termed Hydrops.
Hydrops can be painful. The pain became
so intense and her vision so blurred that
Dene was not able to work at her
hospitality job.
That’s when Dr. Llewellyn sent Dene to
Dr. Stanley Braverman. He treated the
hydrops conservatively with medication
drops, hoping that with time, the fluid
buildup in the cornea would resolve, and
that she would not need a corneal
transplant. Fortunately, after three
months, the hydrops resolved. She was
offered a newer, much less invasive
procedure to halt the progression of her
Keratoconus. The procedure is known as
Collagen Cross Linking, and it has been
ap-proved by the FDA in the United States
for the last two years. She decided to go
through with this surgery.
In the past, corneal transplants were
performed, but they were not always
successful for this condition and it is very
invasive surgery. Thankfully, in 2016, the
FDA approved Corneal Collagen Cross
Linking. The USA is the 145th country in
the world to approve this procedure. It was
initially studied in Dresden, Germany, and
was approved there in the late 1990’s
Corneal Collagen Cross-linking
strengthens the cornea and halts the
deteriorating progression of keratoconus.
It involves the physician repeatedly
instilling a specially formulated riboflavin-
based medication into the eye under an
ultra-violet (UV) light. The UV assists the
collagen fibers in the cornea to chemically
bond with each other. The result is a
strengthening of the cornea. Corneal
Collagen Cross-linking does not 100%
correct the condition, but it does arrest
progression and improves the condition in
at least 50% of the treated patients, which
improves quality of life. Contact lenses or
prescription glasses may further help to
improve the patient’s sight to the best
corrected vision.
As a leader in ophthalmologic research
and new procedures, Dr. Braverman
performs Corneal Collagen Cross-linking
in a specially outfitted surgical suite in his
Hollywood office. His office is the only
FDA approved site in all of Broward
County! With FDA approval, most
insurance companies will provide
coverage for a patient with a history of the
problem and symptoms of its
deteriorating effects.
“Dr. Braverman did my right eye in
January and my left eye in June,” says
Dene. “My vision became so much clearer
with the addition of new contacts, and I
have no pain! Dr Braverman and his staff
have been wonderful, so sensitive and
professional,” she added, “which really
helped me through the process in such a
positive way.”
About Dr. Stanley Braverman
Dr. Stanley Braverman is a Voluntary
Assistant Clinical Professor at the
University of Miami School of Medicine’s
Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital/Bascom
Palmer Eye Institute. He is also an Adjunct
Associate Clinical Professor at the Nova
Southeastern School of Optometry and the
official LASIK and Cataract Surgeon for the
Florida Panthers.
Along with treating patients, Dr.
Braverman, a board certified
ophthalmologist, has been a medical
researcher, and is the inventor of several
eye surgical instruments, and author of
many articles for medical journals. Dr.
Braverman’s newly trademarked LACE™
procedure (Laser Assisted Cataract
Extraction) provides the best possible
cataract surgical results. He has lectured at
professional meetings about upgraded
lens implants, advanced cataract surgery
and LASIK, both nationally and
internationally. He has been recognized by
Newsweek Magazine as one of the Fifteen
Leaders in Laser Eye Surgery in 2011, and
recently co-authored a book on Z-Lasik
that is being distributed internationally.
You can find it on Amazon.com.
An initial cataract, LASIK or Collagen
Cross Linking consultation can be
scheduled by calling the Braverman Eye
Center at: (954) 458-2112 or (305) 374-
8694. For additional information please
contact Regina Vasquez,
Surgical Coordinator for cataract surgery,
or Rosemary Hartford, LASIK and Corneal
Collagen Cross-linking Surgical Coordin-
ator, or visit the Braverman Eye Center
website at www.braver maneyecenter.com
- where you can watch a video of cataract
or LASIK surgery and learn more about all
of the latest advances in cataract surgery
and upgraded lens implants, as well as
LASIK Surgery, including Near-Far
Multifocal PresbyLASIK, for patients over
40 years old who require glasses for both
distance and near vision. There is plenty of
information on Collagen Cross Linking
too.
In addition to Dr. Stanley Braverman, a
Refractive Cataract and LASIK Laser Vision
Correction surgeon, your other
subspecialty eye care needs can also be
evaluated and treated. On staff at the
Braverman Eye Center are Rashid Taher
MD FACS and Tirso Lara MD FACS, Vitreo-
Retinal surgeons; Andre Sarraga MD FACS,
Ophthalmic Plastic, Reconstructive and
Cosmetic Surgeon; Aarup Kubal MD FACS,
Complex Glaucoma Specialist and Corneal
Surgeon; Eric Ciliberti MD, Neuro-
Ophthalmologist; Alan Lane MD FACS,
General Ophthalmology and Glaucoma
Care; Jonathan Leon-Rosen MD FACS,
Glau-coma Surgery and Oculoplastics; and
Ryan Y. Hargreaves OD, Shalonda
McCallum OD and Youssef Choucair OD.
All sub-specialist surgeons at the
Braverman Eye Center are Board Certified.
Braverman Eye Center
Cross Linking Procedure Halts Corneal Damage Caused By Keratoconus
Braverman Eye Center is located at: 1050
N. Federal Highway, Hollywood, Florida 33020.