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Health is His Wealth: Ryan’s Unexpected Journey With Progressive Keratoconus

Ryan Murphy is a 26-year-old college graduate of California State University, Northridge who lives by the motto, “health is wealth”. He is passionate about health and fitness and enjoys spending time outdoors with friends. However, an unexpected vision challenge threatened Ryan’s healthy and active lifestyle.

After noticing he was struggling to see clearly when driving at night and finding it difficult to see the board during class, Ryan decided to take control of his eye health and made an appointment for an eye exam. During his appointment, Ryan was given a prescription for eyeglasses and sent on his way. Although they did temporarily help his vision, Ryan found the glasses to be cumbersome while working out at the gym. 

In search of a better solution, Ryan returned to the doctor and was shocked when he was diagnosed with progressive keratoconus. He was then referred to Dr. Duna Raoof at NVision in Newport Beach, CA for further evaluation and treatment. During the appointment, Ryan learned about iLink​​® FDA-approved cross-linking, which is proven to slow or halt the progression of keratoconus to help preserve vision. Although Ryan was skeptical at first, he remained positive and did decide to move forward with the procedures. 

We recently connected with Ryan to discuss his experience with progressive keratoconus and how iLink® has helped him halt the progression of his condition. Now, with the help of scleral lenses[1], Ryan is back to enjoying his workouts and appreciating his health more than ever before. Watch the full video below to learn more! 

For additional information on keratoconus and iLink® FDA-approved cross-linking, or to read more Keratoconus Journeys like Ryan’s, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

[1] Kreps, E. O., Pesudovs, K., Claerhout, I., & Koppen, C. (2021). Mini-Scleral Lenses Improve Vision-Related Quality of Life in Keratoconus. Cornea, 40(7), 859–864.

Find a Cross-Linking Doctor Near You

Search the directory to locate a cross-linking doctor who is familiar with treating progressive keratoconus.

The results described on this site are based on data collected regarding short- and intermediate-term efficacy of treatment. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary.
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Important Safety Information

Ulcerative keratitis, a potentially serious eye infection, can occur. Your doctor should monitor defects in the outermost corneal layer of the eye for resolution.

The most common ocular side effect is haze. Other ocular side effects include inflammation, fine white lines, dry eye, disruption of surface cells, eye pain, light sensitivity, reduced sharpness of vision, and blurred vision. The risk information provided here is not comprehensive. To learn more, talk to your healthcare provider.

Go to Prescribing Info to obtain the FDA-approved product labeling.

You are encouraged to report all side effects to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Approved Uses

Photrexa® Viscous (riboflavin 5’-phosphate in 20% dextran ophthalmic solution) and Photrexa® (riboflavin 5’-phosphate ophthalmic solution) are used with the KXL® System in corneal cross-linking to treat eyes in which the cornea, the clear dome shaped surface that covers the front of the eye, has been weakened from the progression of the disease keratoconus or following refractive surgery, a method for correcting or improving your vision.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.