What is keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a condition of the cornea, the bit of the eye on which we place the contact lens. What happens in keratoconus is that the structural integrity of the cornea begins to warp and so becomes bulky in certain areas and typically this is at the lower end of the cornea.

The result of this is that vision becomes impaired. Firstly it presents with astigmatism and a requirement for glasses and that prospective prescription changes frequently. So it’s usually the opticians that pick it up in the early stages.

Sometimes patients have no symptoms at all and it’s picked up on corneal scanning.

So we see a high incidence for keratoconus in patients presenting with laser refractive surgery. But this is a contraindication to laser eye surgery.

Learn more about keratoconus treatment, also known as corneal cross-linking.

More about Robert Morris

Rob Morris is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at The Grange Eye Consultants. His special expertise is in cataract and refractive surgery, including Refractive Lens Exchange, and adult squint. He has over 30 years experience in treating people with eye problems. Rob Morris founded Grange Eye Consultants to manage the increasing demand for more complex refractive surgery. He leads clinical trials investigating novel eye treatments. He is currently Medical Director at Optegra Eye Hospitals.