Practical tips and tricks: Kerataconus treatment advice for peers
Clark Chang, OD, MSA, MSc, FAAO, FSLS, and Susan Gromacki, OD, MS, FAAO, FSLS, provide insights into their expertise.
Keratoconus presents clinicians with a persistent challenge: a progressive, vision-threatening corneal condition that is most treatable when caught early, yet frequently goes undetected until significant damage has occurred. With corneal collagen cross-linking now offering a reliable means of halting progression, the stakes of a delayed or missed diagnosis have never been higher. In this Q&A, 2 clinicians with extensive experience managing keratoconus — Clark Chang, OD, MSA, MSc, FAAO, FSLS, of the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Susan Gromacki, OD, MS, FAAO, FSLS, DipAAO, of First Sight Vision Care in Maryland and with more than 3 decades in the field — discuss the diagnostic blind spots, clinical red flags, and management pitfalls that define this disease in practice. From subtle refractive changes that warrant a second look, to the importance of treating the whole patient rather than just the Snellen line, their perspectives offer a practical framework for identifying and managing keratoconus at every stage.