What you can expect
The 9th annual KeraClub, a community event for patients with keratoconus and their carers, will be held as a webinar this year on 13th November, just days after World Keratoconus Day on 10th November. Co-hosted by the Save Sight Institute at The University of Sydney and Keratoconus Australia, KeraClub 2024 aims to bring together patients, researchers, and clinicians for discussions on the latest advancements in keratoconus management.
This year's KeraClub will spotlight cutting-edge research, with a special focus on contributions from the Save Sight Keratoconus Registry (SSKR). Attendees will hear about recent breakthroughs in keratoconus treatment, including studies on corneal cross-linking (CXL) and the impact of keratoconus on patients' quality of life.
As in previous years, the event will be chaired by internationally acclaimed violist, Ms. Michelle Pritchard, who will also share her personal experience living with keratoconus.
Featured speakers and topics:
- Jillian Campbell: Contact lens options for Keratoconus In 2024 and beyond
- Professor Stephanie L Watson OAM: What you need to know about crosslinking. Launch of the crosslinking brochure
- Himal Kandel: Cutting-edge patient outcomes research of the Save Sight Keratoconus Registry
- Ivy Jiang: Can artificial intelligence predict the progression of keratoconus?
- Jessica Huang: The impact of keratoconus severity on the results of crosslinking
- Leo Fan: Quality of life impact of keratoconus: Patient perspectives
- Maria Qureshi: Are new approaches to crosslinking effective?
- Sophia Moshegov: Allergy and eye rubbing in keratoconus
- Larry Kornhauser OAM: What matters to patients with keratoconus?
- Amanda Craze: Opportunities for supporting keratoconus research
Following the presentations, a panel discussion and Q&A session will allow attendees to engage with experts and ask questions about the future of keratoconus treatment.
Event details:
- Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
- Time: 5 pm - 6:30 pm, AEDT
- Platform: Webinar (Zoom details will be available upon registration)
Registration is free but essential.
For additional information, please contact the event team at ssi.events@sydney.edu.au. For more information, contact ssi.events@sydney.edu.au
or through the QR below
KERACLUB 2023 VIDEO STILL AVAILABLE
KERATOCONUS CONTEST
World Keratoconus Day is fast approaching on November 10, and we'd love to hear from YOU!
This competition is now closed. We will publish the winning entries here soon.
Tips
- Avoid eye rubbing allergies and itchy eyes are often associated with keratoconus. Eye rubbing can trigger or worsen keratoconus. Use allergy drops and cold compresses rather than fingers to ease itchy eyes
- 6-12 monthly reviews Keratoconus is a progressive disease and can advance quickly in adolescents and young adults. Schedule a review with your eye-carer (generally optometrist/contact lens fitter) every 6-12 months. Incorrectly-fitted contact lenses can cause irritation and scarring. Crosslinking may be required to halt further progression.
- Corneal crosslinking must be done early Corneal crosslinking is the only procedure that can slow of halt progression in keratoconus. But it cannot usually be performed safely on thin corneas. Don't miss the opportunity to have this sight saving operation. See your eye-carer as soon as you notice a change in your vision. Download our Patient Guide to Crosslinking
- Rinse lens with saline solution and wash your hands Tap water contains all sorts of nasty bacteria that cause serious eye infections. Don't take the risk: use saline solution to rinse your lenses after cleaning them in the evening and to rinse out your contact lens case every morning before drying with a tissue. And wash your hands before handling contact lenses!
- Emergency spectacles Everyone should have a pair of emergency spectacles if you wear contact lenses. They don't provide perfect vision. But they do enable you to do things around the house, make bathroom trips in the night and avoid wearing lenses in the dry atmosphere of a plane on long trips. Ask your keratoconus specialist optometrist about a pair
- Treatment and Travel Subsidies The cost of treatments for keratoconus is spiralling out of control. We have compiled a list of state-based funding schemes for vision related treatments and clinics where these can be found. For regional and remote patients, travel assistance schemes also exist to subsidise the cost of travel for treatment outside of your local area. Take advantage of these to get the best treatments
- Patience is a virtue... for both patient and eye-carer Keratoconus is often frustrating for both patient and their eye-carers. Fitting contact lenses can be very a lengthy and complex process and both parties need to be patient. 3-12 months of trial and error are not uncommon. Also, the right fit is not always possible and surgery does not always yield the desired result. Talk to your eye-carers before you start a treatment to understand risks and costs and what will happen if things don't work out as planned.
Living with keratoconus is not always easy. So remember to take time to congratulate yourself and the people you know with keratoconus for getting through another year and celebrate the day. There are more options to improve your vision and eye health than ever before - next year will be even better!
DONATE
We need your support.
Keratoconus Australia is operated entirely by volunteers and manages on a very small budget. The Association is fully funded from donations. It receives no government funding or corporate sponsorship.
We work to support people with keratoconus and their families and advocate on their behalf. We also contribute to important research into keratoconus being conducted in Australia, notably by the Save Sight Keratoconus Registry.
If you would like to support our Association and its important work, please donate now. You can also organize a fundraiser on our behalf here.
