If you suspect you may have keratoconus, you can visit your ophthalmologist who will conduct an eye exam, as well as assessing your individual and family medical history. They may also conduct various tests, including eye refraction, a slit-lamp examination and computerised corneal mapping to give you a keratoconus diagnosis.
Urgent referral is not required, as the various stages of keratoconus can take years to develop. As a result, your ophthalmologist may invite you back for multiple assessments in the years following your initial consultation. These visits will include vision and refraction tests, as well as corneal scans to monitor your condition. Your ophthalmologist will be able to advise if they believe you require further treatment.
In the early stages, spectacles or soft contact lenses may be used to correct vision. As the cornea becomes thinner and steeper, soft or rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses are often required to correct vision more adequately. In very advanced cases, where contact lenses fail to improve vision, a corneal transplant may be needed. This type of intervention is rare however since the introduction of corneal cross-linking (CXL). CXL is a relatively new treatment that can stop the disease getting worse. It is effective in over 94% of patients with a single 30 minute outpatient procedure.
You can self-fund or use private medical insurance to fund your treatment.