UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hello All

This is my first post, although I've been a lurker for some time now.
I'll be moving with my family from France to East Devon in the summer, and wondered if anyone has any recommendations for a good KC lens fitter in East Devon?
I've looked at the list in the KC Group Publications section,including opticians in Somerset and Dorset, but the nearest seems to be in Taunton.
Also, since I've been living abroad for 30 years, I'm not sure what the procedure is in the UK these days, so is it advisable to register with an ophthalmologist as well as an optician?
I'm stage 1-2 in one eye (corrected with a soft lens) and stage 3 in the other (corrected with a hybrid lens).
Any information gratefully received, and thank you all in advance!

Hi John

I hope you get some direction of where to go in East Devon from the community here.

Interested to read about your stage definition not come across that before can you enlighten us on what all the stages of progression of KC are.
What is stage 1-2 and stage 3?

Thank you.

I get my lenses fitted in Switzerland (I work there) at the moment, and it's what my optometrist told me when he first fitted me. I assumed it was an international classification, but it seems it's restricted to German-speaking countries, so apologies if I've confused anyone!
There are four stages under this system, and as luck would have it, it's already been reproduced in English on Wikipedia! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconus and scroll down to stages. In practical terms (i.e. ones I can understand!), it means that the KC in the stage 1-2 eye is quite mild, while the stage 3 eye is more advanced.

Thanks for that John its a gem of a link and I have created a thread for it as its one of most interesting pieces of information I have read here.

Hi John,
Many high street opticians rarely see people with KC and don't have much experience of fitting KC lenses. Most of us get our lenses from the hospital eye service, either from the hospital's contact lens department, or if they don't have one, from the optician that the hospital has a contract with to supply specialist contact lenses. So your best bet once you return to the UK would be to ask your GP to refer you to a hospital with a corneal consultant and take it from there. And the bigger hospitals tend to see more KC and have more experience (so that might be Exeter or Plymouth in Devon). But maybe a forum user in Devon will have more suggestions.

Thank you Anne, that's a great help already.

Hello John, I live in South Devon. I was referred to the Eye Unit at the RD&E in Exeter. They have been excellent in their care & advice. Hope this helps.

It does indeed, thank you very much!