Domenicantonio Ielpo was born near Potenza and lives in Milan, a city he loves but frequently escapes on his motorbike. He has covered thousands of kilometres alone or in the company of others who share his passion for riding: Sardinia, Croatia and soon Corsica. He had been feeling less safe in the saddle, however, due to a combination of keratoconus and mixed astigmatism, which meant that his eyesight was becoming increasingly blurred and his peripheral vision was gradually becoming more restricted.
Domenico knew that his keratoconus would degenerate with time and so he decided to stop the progression of the disease. Thanks to osmotic trans-epithelial corneal cross-linking he even recovered a few decimals of visual acuity. The procedure strengthened his corneas with new collagen bonds, while making them more transparent and evenly shaped.
Here he is with Dr Pinelli after an absolutely painless operation which, thanks to the combined action of ultraviolet light (UV-A rays) and ParaCel®, a riboflavin-based molecule patented by Dr Pinelli and marketed by the US multinational Avedro, improved his peripheral vision in a matter of minutes. “I had become aware that I was tilting my head sideways in order to more easily bring into focus the images in my field of vision. It was an involuntary movement which by the end of the day would cause me no little discomfort, especially if I had been out on my bike.”
The posture of Domenico’s head, which was entirely involuntary and unconscious, not only resulted in a misalignment of the neck and jaw, it also caused him headaches and shoulder and neck pains. “My friend, who came with me and has known me for years, has already noticed that now I keep my head straight.”
In the picture, Domenico is wearing red and is standing to the right of Dr Pinelli and his friend.
For further information on Domenico’s treatment, click on osmotic trans-epithelial corneal cross-linking