A private keratoconus specialist consultation is a 45–60 minute assessment with a consultant corneal surgeon and same-day corneal tomography that confirms the diagnosis, grades severity, and — crucially — measures whether the condition is progressing. At our partner clinics the consultation costs from £250, including the scans and a written treatment plan. Because early keratoconus can be halted with corneal cross-linking, getting an accurate specialist assessment quickly is the single most important step in protecting your future vision. There is no GP referral required and you can book directly.
What is keratoconus — and why see a specialist?
Keratoconus is a progressive condition in which the normally dome-shaped cornea thins and bulges into an irregular cone. This distorts the way light enters the eye, producing blurred and ghosted vision that ordinary glasses struggle to correct. It usually starts in the teens or twenties and can progress for years before stabilising. You can read more about the condition itself on our keratoconus information page.
The reason a specialist consultation matters is timing. Modern treatment can stop keratoconus in its tracks — but only if progression is caught. A consultant corneal assessment with high-resolution tomography detects subtle steepening long before vision is lost, and distinguishes stable disease (which may just need lenses) from active progression (which needs cross-linking). A standard sight test cannot do this.
Signs you should be assessed
- Frequently changing glasses prescription — especially rising astigmatism
- Blurred or distorted vision that glasses no longer fully correct
- Ghosting, streaking or multiple images from a single light source
- Increased glare and halos, particularly at night
- Frequent eye rubbing or a history of allergy/atopic eye disease
- A family history of keratoconus or a previous borderline scan
Noticed your vision changing? An early specialist scan can be the difference between a 30-minute cross-linking treatment and a corneal transplant years later.
Book a keratoconus assessmentYour treatment pathway
The consultation defines which pathway is right for you. Every option below is available at our partner clinics and is UK-established; your consultant will recommend the combination that best protects and improves your vision.
For advanced keratoconus with significant scarring, a partial-thickness corneal transplant such as DALK can restore vision while preserving the eye's own inner layers. Tissue-addition ring techniques such as CAIRS are also available where suitable. Your consultation determines exactly where on this pathway you sit.
What happens at your consultation
The appointment is thorough but comfortable, and combines expert examination with detailed imaging so you leave with clear answers and a plan.
- A full history is taken — your symptoms, prescription changes, eye rubbing, allergies and family history.
- Corneal tomography (such as a Galilei or Pentacam scan) maps the front and back surfaces of the cornea and its thickness.
- Your consultant performs a slit-lamp examination and measures your vision and refraction.
- Scans are compared against any previous imaging to establish whether the cornea is stable or progressing.
- You receive a written treatment plan explaining your diagnosis, severity, and the recommended next step and its cost.
Next steps after your consultation
There is no recovery from the consultation itself — the scans are non-contact and painless. What follows depends on your result:
Stable, mild keratoconus
Vision managed with glasses or soft lenses, with monitoring scans every 6–12 months to catch any change early.
Confirmed progression
Corneal cross-linking is arranged promptly — usually within a few weeks — to strengthen the cornea and halt further bulging.
Poor vision with glasses
Referral to specialist scleral or rigid lens fitting to restore sharp, comfortable vision over the irregular cornea.
Moderate disease
Corneal ring segments (Intacs or CAIRS) considered to flatten the cone and improve both vision and lens tolerance.
Advanced with scarring
Partial-thickness corneal transplant (DALK) discussed to rebuild the cornea while keeping your own healthy inner layers.
Keratoconus consultation cost
The consultation fee is all-inclusive of the consultant assessment, corneal tomography and thickness scans, and your written treatment plan. Treatment, if you choose to proceed, is quoted separately and transparently.
- Self-pay: from £250 for the specialist consultation with tomography.
- Treatment guide prices: cross-linking from £2,600 per eye; scleral/RGP lens fitting from £900; ring segments from £3,500 per eye.
- Insurance: keratoconus assessment and treatment are recognised by Bupa, AXA, Aviva, Vitality and WPA — we handle authorisation. Finance: 0% options on treatment.
See the full cross-linking cost guide or the iontophoresis cross-linking option for detailed treatment pricing.