I’m 31 years old and have had keratoconus since I was 17. I underwent cross-linking treatment 11 years ago, and my condition has remained stable ever since. I use scleral lenses for correction (with excellent results). A few days ago, I had my routine eye exam, which showed a slight decrease in corneal thickness (10–15 microns), but everything else remained stable (in fact, the Kmax has decreased only slightly). The doctor who examined me said everything is fine and that I can come back in a year, but this decrease in thickness has me worried. Do you think I should get a second opinion?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for experiences from people who have undergone corneal cross-linking (C3R/CXL) and CAIRS, particularly for post-LASIK corneal ectasia.

My wife underwent C3R + CAIRS surgery on 21 March 2026 for post-LASIK ectasia/keratoconus in her right eye.

We went for a follow-up Pentacam scan in October 2026, approximately 7 months after surgery, to check whether the condition has stabilised.

Here are the measurements we've noted so far:

-Preoperative Kmax 10th March: 53.65 D

- Preoperative Kmax (March 14): Approximately 54.7 D (needs verification against the original report).

- Latest Kmax (October): 56.5 D.

- Thinnest corneal thickness in March: Approximately 372 µm.

- Thinnest corneal thickness in October: 376 µm.

The apparent Kmax increase is around 2.85 D, while the corneal thickness measurements are relatively similar.

I'm worried that the increase might mean the ectasia is still progressing or that cross-linking hasn't worked.

We will discuss the results with her corneal specialist and compare the original scans. In the meantime, I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar, particularly people whose Kmax increased after CXL + CAIRS but whose condition eventually stabilised.

I'm hoping to learn from others' experiences and better understand the recovery process.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’ve had keratoconus for around 11 years, and it’s affected much more than just my eyesight. It’s had a massive impact on my confidence, social life and mental health. I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, overthinking and paranoia, developed bad habits, and even stopped talking to friends for years. This has all happened gradually over the years since having a corneal transplant which was about 11 years ago as before I was always socialising and confident.
Again over the years it got worse no improvements and my left eye started to drift out which caused the above.

Recently, I was referred for squint surgery. I genuinely believe that, if successful, the surgery could make a huge difference to my confidence and quality of life.

Unfortunately, the hospital cancelled my appointments three times.

Second quarter of this year of this year I’ve been focusing on improving my physical health, mental wellbeing and family life. I eventually cancelled my last appointment(4th appointment) because I felt I needed to get these areas of my life to a better place first.
I still want the surgery, but right now, I don’t feel it’s the right time. I want to build a stronger foundation in my life before taking that step, although part of me wonders whether I’m delaying something that could genuinely change my life.
I understand that surgery won’t automatically fix years of mental health struggles, but I do believe improving my eye alignment could help my confidence.

I’d appreciate some honest opinions:
• Am I approaching this the right way by focusing on my health and family before returning to surgery?
• For those who’ve had squint surgery, how much did it improve your confidence and social life?
• Has anyone else experienced significant mental health struggles because of keratoconus or a visible eye condition?
• If you were in my position, what would you do?

I’m not looking for people to simply agree with me. I genuinely want different perspectives and hope sharing my experience might help someone else going through something similar.
Thanks for reading.