Corneal mapping
Detailed topography and thickness measurement to confirm keratoconus and establish whether it is progressing.
Other Corneal Services
Other Corneal Services
C3R Treatment for Keratoconus in Delhi
Corneal collagen cross-linking at Neera Eye Centre, Darya Ganj — the treatment that stops keratoconus from progressing. Timing decides the outcome.
30–60 min
Single outpatient session
Stops progression
The main goal of C3R
Teens & 20s
When keratoconus usually starts
Cornea mapping
Pentacam assessment
Service Overview
Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea — normally a smooth, even dome — becomes thin and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape. The signs are distinctive once you know them. Vision becomes blurred and distorted, not just weak. Your power changes every few months instead of every few years. Cylindrical (astigmatic) power keeps climbing. Glasses that were made recently already feel wrong. Lights streak and smear at night. It usually begins in the teens or early twenties, it often runs in families, and constant hard eye-rubbing makes it progress faster. C3R (Corneal Collagen Cross-linking with Riboflavin) does one job, and does it well: it stops keratoconus from getting worse. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) drops are applied to the cornea and activated with controlled UV light, which strengthens the internal bonds in the corneal tissue and makes it structurally stiffer and stable. Be clear about what C3R is and isn't. It stabilises the cornea — it is not primarily done to improve vision. That is exactly why timing is everything. The earlier it is done, the more good vision is locked in and preserved. Waiting is the one thing that costs keratoconus patients their sight. Untreated progressive keratoconus is a leading reason young people end up needing a corneal transplant.
What It Covers
Progression tracking
Repeat scans compared against your earlier maps, since the decision to treat depends on change over time, not on a single reading.
The C3R procedure
Riboflavin drops applied to the cornea and activated with controlled UV light in a single outpatient session.
Vision rehabilitation after stabilisation
Once the cornea is stable, specialty contact lenses — scleral, hybrid or rigid gas permeable — restore functional vision in distorted corneas.
Intacs where suitable
Small ring segments placed within the cornea can flatten the cone and improve vision in selected patients.
Who It Is For
Teenagers and young adults with rapidly changing power
Especially where the cylindrical power is climbing and every new pair of glasses feels wrong within months.
Anyone diagnosed with keratoconus that is still progressing
If scans show your cornea is continuing to steepen or thin, C3R is the treatment that stops it.
People with a family history of keratoconus
Keratoconus runs in families. If a sibling or parent has it, get your corneas mapped even if your vision feels normal.
How It Works
Corneal mapping
A Pentacam scan maps the shape and thickness of your cornea across thousands of points, confirming the diagnosis and the stage.
Riboflavin application
Under numbing drops, vitamin B2 drops are applied to the corneal surface over about 30 minutes so they soak fully into the tissue.
UV light activation
Controlled UV light is directed at the cornea. This is the step that creates the new bonds and stiffens the tissue.
Protective lens and recovery
A soft bandage contact lens is placed for a few days while the surface heals, along with a drop schedule.
Why Choose Us
Keratoconus is frequently missed. It is diagnosed as "just high cylindrical power" and treated with a new pair of glasses every six months — while the cornea keeps thinning underneath. At Neera Eye Centre, any young patient with rapidly changing cylindrical power is corneal-mapped rather than simply re-prescribed. Dr. Neera Agrawal completed her fellowship at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, and the centre manages the full keratoconus pathway — C3R, Intacs, specialty contact lenses, and DALK transplantation for advanced cases. That matters because keratoconus is not a one-visit condition. Being able to move a patient through every stage in the same centre, against the same baseline scans, is what keeps them off the transplant list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will C3R improve my vision?
Usually not directly, and it is important to expect this correctly. C3R is done to stop keratoconus from getting worse. Some patients see mild flattening and slight improvement over a year or two, but the purpose is stabilisation. Vision is then restored with glasses or specialty contact lenses.
Is C3R painful?
The procedure itself is not — the eye is numbed with drops. For two to three days afterwards, while the surface heals, the eye can feel gritty, watery and sensitive to light. A bandage contact lens and prescribed drops manage this, and it settles within a few days.
How do I know if my keratoconus is progressing?
Only corneal scans can tell you. Progression is measured by comparing corneal maps taken a few months apart to see whether the cornea is steepening or thinning. Frequent changes in your cylindrical power are a strong warning sign that should prompt mapping.
Can keratoconus be cured?
There is no cure that reverses keratoconus, but it can be halted. C3R stops progression, and vision is then managed with specialty contact lenses. Only advanced cases that have progressed too far need a corneal transplant — which is why early treatment matters so much.
Does rubbing my eyes really make keratoconus worse?
Yes, and this is one of the most important things you can control. Vigorous, repeated eye rubbing mechanically weakens an already thin cornea and is strongly linked to faster progression. If allergy is making your eyes itch, that allergy needs to be treated properly.
At what age is C3R usually done?
Most often between the mid-teens and early thirties, because that is when keratoconus progresses most rapidly. Younger patients are frequently treated earlier and more readily, since keratoconus tends to advance faster in adolescents and there is more vision to protect.
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