Presented by Dr. Maria Walker in June 2024
Dr. Walker provided a very contemporary overview on both what clinical research has told us recently as it pertains to keratoconus and the current methods of treatment with an emphasis on contact lenses. Keratoconus is an important area of research for Dr. Walker as her doctoral thesis pertained to scleral lenses and she is overseeing a 50 site clinical study investigating the incidence of microbial keratitis with scleral lens use. She utilized excellent graphics in this presentation and her passion for keratoconus and it’s management is quite obvious. The topics she presented included the following:
Basic keratoconus understanding and definitions
- Clinical signs
- Corneal changes
- Prevalence
- Updated research on the causes and co-morbidities in keratoconus
The role of corneal cross-linking in both the management of keratoconus directly and in conjunction with contact lens wear
- When to recommend CXL
- CXL and contact lens application
Fitting and management of keratoconus with contact lenses
- Soft commercial lenses
- General tips
- Case example
- Custom soft lenses
- General tips
- Fitting tips
- Case example
- Corneal GP lenses
- When to use
- Rules for fitting
- Use technology
- Case example
- Piggyback
- Description and candidates
- Case example
- Scleral lenses
- Applications
- Top reasons sclerals may fail
- Final Thoughts