Keratoconus
Keratoconus is the most common form of corneal ectasia — a condition in which the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye, gradually thins and bulges forward into a cone shape. Because the cornea does most of the eye's focusing, even a small change in its shape distorts vision in a way that ordinary glasses struggle to correct. Older textbooks put the prevalence at roughly 1 in 2000, but New Zealand data suggest it is far more common here: a Wellington high-school screening study found keratoconus in about 1 in 190 students overall and about 1 in 45 Māori students, and the national Aotearoa Research into Keratoconus (ARK) study found Māori and Pacific peoples over-represented and more severely affected, with just over half of patients male. It usually develops in the teenage years, although it can begin before the age of ten or not until adulthood, and progression usually slows through the twenties and thirties.
Book a keratoconus appointment online: new to us — New Keratoconus assessment (45 minutes). Already a patient — Keratoconus review (30 minutes), or Keratoconus 45 minutes (if we have not seen you for two years) if it has been a while or you would like extra time. If your vision has dropped suddenly, please call us on 07 847 3195 rather than booking online.
How keratoconus affects vision
People with keratoconus rarely describe simple "blur". More often it is ghosting or doubling of letters, streaks and flare around headlights at night, haloes, and the feeling that no pair of glasses is ever quite right. Often one eye is noticeably worse than the other, and the prescription seems to change at every visit. Glare sensitivity and eye strain with reading are common. None of these symptoms is unique to keratoconus, but this pattern — especially in a teenager or young adult with itchy eyes, allergy and a habit of eye rubbing — is what prompts us to map the cornea rather than simply update the glasses.
Why keratoconus patients travel to Rose Optometry
Rose Optometry in Frankton, Hamilton, is the home of the Rose K contact lens. Paul Rose designed the Rose K series here in the Waikato, and it went on to become one of the most widely prescribed keratoconus lens designs in the world. That heritage is why optometrists and ophthalmologists refer keratoconus patients to us from across New Zealand and, at times, from overseas — and it is why we think of ourselves as a keratoconus specialist clinic for the country, not just for Hamilton. Rather than ask you to take that on trust, here is what it means in practice:
- The full lens range, fitted from on-site sets. Rose K and Rose K2 XL rigid lenses, hybrid lenses, and custom-designed mini-scleral and scleral lenses, each one forged from your own corneal maps. We hold extensive fitting sets in the practice, so trial lenses go on the eye at the first visit rather than being ordered in.
- Imaging that sees the whole cornea. Pentacam tomography for front and back corneal surface and thickness mapping, Medmont topography for surface shape, and Heidelberg ANTERION swept-source anterior segment OCT for corneal and epithelial thickness. Progression is judged on repeat scans, not on how the glasses feel.
- Specialty lens training and fellowship. Partner optometrist Jagrut Lallu holds a Master of Science in Specialty Lenses and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control, and is a co-author of a peer-reviewed case report on specialty lens wear in Clinical and Experimental Optometry.
- Research and development. Through the New Zealand Eye Research Centre, based at the practice, we are actively designing and developing new treatments and lens designs, which means our patients often have access to options before they are widely available. We supply and fit the EyeSpace lens platform — EyeSpace Forge orthokeratology lenses, EyeSpace Scleral and EyeSpace Ectasia designs, each engineered from your own corneal maps — and we are actively working on Higher Order Aberration Control lenses, which aim to correct the complex optical distortions that standard lenses leave behind in keratoconic eyes.
- A patient information site of our own. Keratoconus NZ is our plain-language guide to the condition, its lenses and its treatment in New Zealand.
Early diagnosis matters. Keratoconus is often first noticed in a teenager whose prescription keeps changing, or who has been told they have "astigmatism" that never quite corrects. If we find it early, we can monitor the shape of the cornea and refer for corneal cross-linking while there is still plenty of healthy tissue to protect. If a young person in your whānau has needed several new pairs of glasses in a short time, we would rather see them early than late — a comprehensive eye examination in Hamilton with our optometrists is the place to start.
How we diagnose and monitor keratoconus
Keratoconus is diagnosed by measuring the shape and thickness of the cornea, not by guessing from a prescription. We use Pentacam tomography, Medmont corneal topography and Heidelberg ANTERION anterior segment OCT to build a detailed picture of the front and back surfaces of the cornea and how thick it is at every point, including the epithelium. You can read about this equipment on our Technology page.
The first scan gives us a baseline. Repeat scans at each review are compared against it, so we can tell the difference between a stable cornea and one that is progressing. That comparison drives every decision: whether a lens needs refitting, whether it is time to refer for cross-linking, and how soon we need to see you again.
The treatment ladder
Treatment is matched to the stage of the condition, and most people sit comfortably on one of the lower rungs for years.
- Spectacles. In early keratoconus, glasses may give perfectly good vision, and some people manage with spectacles alone.
- Soft and specialty soft lenses. Custom soft lenses for mild irregularity, useful when comfort is the priority.
- Rose K rigid gas permeable lenses. A small rigid lens that creates a new, smooth optical surface over the cone and typically gives the sharpest vision. Rose K2 XL is the larger, semi-scleral member of the family for more advanced or decentred cones. Small fitting adjustments make a large difference to comfort. If your lenses are bothering you, read why your rigid lenses might feel uncomfortable, and the simple fix.
- Hybrid lenses. A rigid centre for vision with a soft skirt for comfort, for people who cannot settle in a rigid lens.
- Mini-scleral and scleral lenses. Larger lenses that vault over the cornea entirely and rest on the white of the eye, with a reservoir of fluid beneath. Excellent for advanced or very irregular corneas, after corneal grafts, and where the surface of the eye is dry or sensitive. We design these to your own corneal maps, including the EyeSpace Scleral and EyeSpace Ectasia designs we supply and fit here.
- Referral for corneal cross-linking. If your scans show progression, we refer you to an ophthalmologist for cross-linking, a procedure that stiffens the cornea to slow or halt further change. It does not reverse keratoconus, so catching progression early is valuable.
- Corneal transplant. Rarely needed, and less often every year as cross-linking takes hold. A small minority go on to require a graft, usually because of central scarring or a cornea too steep for any lens to fit. We fit lenses after grafts too, and monitor the graft with specular microscopy.
What to expect at a lens fitting
A keratoconus lens fitting is a process, not a single visit. At the first fitting appointment we review your corneal maps, then place trial lenses from our on-site fitting sets on the eye and assess how each one sits over your cone. From the best trial fit we design a lens made for your cornea and order it. When it arrives we check the fit and vision on the eye, teach you insertion, removal and lens care until you are confident doing it yourself, and send you away to wear the lens in your normal life.
The follow-up visits are where a good fit becomes a great one. Small changes to a lens edge or curve can transform comfort and wearing time, so we review the fit after a few weeks of real-world wear and refine the design if it is needed. Most people are comfortably fitted over two to four visits; very irregular or post-surgical corneas can take longer. Honest expectation-setting is part of the service — we will tell you at each step what is normal adaptation and what needs a lens change.
What results can I expect?
We cannot promise a particular outcome — vision with lenses depends on the stage of the condition and whether the cornea has scarred — but the general pattern is encouraging: with a well-fitted rigid or scleral lens, most people with keratoconus see substantially better than they do in glasses, and many reach or approach the vision standard needed to drive. Poor vision in glasses does not mean poor vision is inevitable. Comfort typically builds over the first weeks of wear as your eyes adapt, and because keratoconus is a long-term condition, your lenses and your corneal maps are reviewed together for the rest of the journey — when the cornea changes, the lens design changes with it.
Living with keratoconus
Allergy, hay fever, eczema and asthma are common in people with keratoconus, and itchy eyes lead to eye rubbing, which is one of the few things we can control. Managing allergy and keeping hands away from the eyes is part of the treatment plan. Good lens care matters too. Our guide to the best contact lens solution for RGP lenses in New Zealand covers what we recommend.
One warning sign to know: a sudden drop in vision, often with pain, watering and a cloudy cornea, may be corneal hydrops, a split in the inner layer of the cornea that lets fluid rush in. It is uncommon but needs same-day attention. Read sudden vision loss with keratoconus: it could be corneal hydrops so you know what to do.
Learn more
- Keratoconus NZ — our patient guide to keratoconus in New Zealand
- What is keratoconus?
- Causes and progression of keratoconus
- Treatment options for keratoconus
- Sudden vision loss with keratoconus: it could be corneal hydrops
- Why your rigid lenses might feel uncomfortable, and the simple fix
- Best contact lens solution for RGP lenses in New Zealand
For referring optometrists and ophthalmologists
We accept keratoconus, post-surgical corneal ectasia and irregular-cornea referrals from across New Zealand for diagnosis, progression monitoring, specialty lens fitting and post-graft care, and we co-manage: you receive a report after each visit and routine care returns to you. Email info@roseoptom.co.nz with topography if you have it, or see our referral information for practitioners.
Optometrists for keratoconus at Rose Optometry
You will be seen by one of seven therapeutically qualified optometrists — all University of Auckland graduates, all able to prescribe eye medication where it is needed, and all of whom examine patients from six weeks of age.
- Jagrut Lallu — Partner Optometrist · BOptom (Hons), MSc Specialty Lenses (Hons), FIAOMC. Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Jagrut's special interests. All special interests: children's vision, myopia management, orthokeratology, keratoconus and scleral lenses, dry eye.
- Jacqueline Rowe — Partner Optometrist · BSc, BOptom. Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Jacqueline's special interests. All special interests: dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction, orthokeratology, keratoconus, children's vision.
- Emilie Lawson — BOptom (Hons) · Accredited Glaucoma Prescriber · ACO Certificate in Advanced Contact Lenses. Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Emilie's special interests. All special interests: children's vision, myopia management, orthokeratology, glaucoma, keratoconus, dry eye.
- Jason Shen — BOptom (Hons). Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Jason's special interests. All special interests: keratoconus and specialty contact lenses, children's vision.
- Jessica Wood — BOptom (Hons) · Clinical Research Optometrist, New Zealand Eye Research Centre. Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Jessica's special interests. All special interests: orthokeratology, keratoconus, dry eye, children's vision, clinical research.
- Stella Wong — BOptom (Hons). Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Stella's special interests. All special interests: myopia management, orthokeratology, keratoconus and specialty contact lenses, binocular vision, dry eye, children's vision.
- Anjali Hira — BOptom (Hons). Diagnoses, monitors and fits specialty lenses for keratoconus; keratoconus is one of Anjali's special interests. All special interests: children's vision, orthokeratology, keratoconus, dry eye.
Frequently asked questions
Is keratoconus genetic?
Keratoconus is thought to have both genetic and environmental causes, and it does run in some families. Eye rubbing and allergy appear to influence how it behaves. If you have keratoconus, it is sensible to have your children's corneas mapped in their early teens.
Will I go blind?
Keratoconus very rarely causes blindness. Most people keep good, functional vision throughout life with the right lenses, and the small minority who need surgery generally do well.
Can it be cured?
No. Lenses restore vision and cross-linking can slow or stop progression, but nothing yet reverses the corneal change. It usually stabilises on its own around 30.
Is corneal cross-linking available in New Zealand?
Yes. Cross-linking is performed by ophthalmologists in New Zealand, and we refer directly when your scans show progression, then continue your lens care afterwards.
Can I be seen if I do not live in Hamilton?
Yes. Keratoconus patients travel to us from across New Zealand, and we plan visits so that fitting appointments are grouped where possible. Bring any previous topography and lens details with you.
Are scleral lenses better than Rose K lenses?
Neither is better; they suit different corneas. A small Rose K lens is simpler to handle and often gives the sharpest vision on a mild to moderate cone; a scleral lens is more comfortable on an advanced, irregular or dry eye. Your corneal maps and a trial of each decide it.
How often will I be reviewed?
Younger patients and anyone showing change are usually seen every six months; stable adults typically annually. Your scans decide the interval.
What keratoconus care costs at Rose Optometry
Keratoconus is managed, not cured, so the honest way to talk about cost is per visit rather than as a single headline number.
A routine review — $237 to $257. Keratoconus appointment, 30 minutes ($139), plus corneal topography ($59), plus a polish of one lens ($39) or two ($59). That is what most established patients pay at a regular visit.
New to us, or not seen for two years — $267 to $287. A 45-minute keratoconus appointment ($169) with topography and lens polishing. After that examination the clinician decides whether a refit is actually needed. Many patients do not need one, and we will say so.
A full refit. A refit adds the scleral fitting fees for both eyes and two anterior OCT scans ($78) on top of the 45-minute examination and topography above. Where a full refit is needed we quote the fitting and the lenses before anything is ordered.
Common questions about keratoconus
Is keratoconus serious?
It is a serious condition that is usually manageable. The cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape, distorting vision in a way glasses eventually cannot correct. Untreated and progressing, it can lead to significant vision loss and in a minority of cases to needing a corneal graft. Detected early and stabilised, most people keep good functional vision for life. The distinction is almost entirely about how early it is caught and whether progression is halted.
Can keratoconus be cured?
No, but the two halves of the problem are separately addressable, and that is the part people miss. Progression can usually be stopped with corneal cross-linking — a procedure we refer for. Vision is then restored with specialty contact lenses that vault or reshape the irregular surface. So although the cornea does not return to normal, the disease can be stabilised and the vision can often be made excellent again. Neither step fixes the other: cross-linking stops it getting worse but does not sharpen vision, and lenses sharpen vision but do not stop progression.
What causes keratoconus?
A combination of genetic susceptibility and mechanical stress on the cornea. Eye rubbing is the strongest modifiable factor by a wide margin — hard, habitual rubbing is repeatedly associated with progression. It is more common where there is allergy, eczema, asthma or hay fever, largely because those conditions make eyes itch. There is a familial pattern, so first-degree relatives of someone with keratoconus are worth screening. Onset is typically in the teens or twenties and it tends to stabilise by around the forties.
Is keratoconus classed as a disability?
Not automatically. Keratoconus itself is a diagnosis, not a disability classification — what matters is the level of vision achieved with best correction. Most people with well-managed keratoconus see well enough in lenses to drive and work normally, and are not classified as vision impaired. Where vision remains significantly reduced despite best correction, formal low-vision assessment and support may apply. We can provide a visual report for employment, licensing or funding purposes.
Will I definitely need a corneal graft?
Most people will not. The proportion of patients progressing to a graft has fallen substantially since cross-linking became available and since scleral lens designs improved — lenses now succeed in eyes that would previously have been referred for surgery. Grafting remains an option for advanced disease or significant scarring, but it is no longer an expected destination.
Can I still wear normal contact lenses?
Sometimes early on, but as the cornea becomes more irregular a standard soft lens simply drapes over the irregularity and reproduces it. That is when rigid, hybrid or scleral designs take over — they create a smooth new optical surface, which is why vision through them is so much sharper than glasses can achieve.
Keratoconus care in Hamilton — and referrals from around New Zealand
We fit the Rose K, Rose K2 XL and custom scleral designs — every lens forged from your own corneal maps — and we have Pentacam, Medmont and ANTERION on site for corneal measurement. We are actively designing and developing new treatments and lens designs: we supply EyeSpace Forge orthokeratology lenses, EyeSpace Scleral and EyeSpace Ectasia lenses, and we are actively working on Higher Order Aberration Control lenses for the distortions standard optics cannot reach.
We accept referrals from other optometrists for keratoconus, scleral lens fitting and amniotic membrane work, and we see patients travelling from outside the Waikato. If you are coming a distance, say so when you book and we will group the appointments so the trip is worthwhile.
Book a new keratoconus appointment (45 minutes), or if you are an existing patient, a keratoconus review (30 minutes) — or a 45-minute review if we have not seen you for two years.
Rose Optometry, 38 Lake Road, Frankton, Hamilton. 07 847 3195
Book or refer
We see keratoconus patients from Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Huntly, Raglan and the wider Waikato, and we accept referrals from across New Zealand.
- First visit to Rose Optometry — New Keratoconus assessment (45 minutes)
- Existing patient, routine review — Keratoconus review (30 minutes)
- Existing patient, not seen for two years — Keratoconus, extended appointment (45 minutes)
Or call 07 847 3195 or email info@roseoptom.co.nz with "Keratoconus" in the subject, and we will arrange your assessment at 38 Lake Road, Frankton, Hamilton. If your vision has dropped suddenly, please phone us rather than booking online.
Rose Optometry, 38 Lake Road, Frankton, Hamilton. 07 847 3195
About the author
This page was written and is maintained by Jagrut Lallu — BOptom (Hons), MSc Specialty Lenses (Hons), FIAOMC. Therapeutic Optometrist & Contact Lens Specialist. Founder, New Zealand Eye Research Centre; Partner, Rose Optometry; WCO Asia-Pacific Myopia Ambassador; International Myopia Institute NZ Ambassador; Clinical Senior Lecturer, Deakin School of Optometry; Honorary Teaching Fellow, University of Auckland.
Last clinically reviewed: 1 September 2026.
References
- Papali'i-Curtin AT, Cox R, Ma T, Woods L, Covello A, Hall RC. Keratoconus Prevalence Among High School Students in New Zealand. Cornea. 2019;38(11):1382-1389. PMID 31335534. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000002054
- Gokul A, Ziaei M, Mathan JJ, et al. The Aotearoa Research Into Keratoconus Study: Geographic Distribution, Demographics, and Clinical Characteristics of Keratoconus in New Zealand. Cornea. 2022;41(1):16-22. PMID 33630812. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000002672
- Godefrooij DA, de Wit GA, Uiterwaal CS, Imhof SM, Wisse RP. Age-specific Incidence and Prevalence of Keratoconus: A Nationwide Registration Study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2017;175:169-172. PMID 28039037. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2016.12.015
- Ferdi AC, Nguyen V, Gore DM, Allan BD, Rozema JJ, Watson SL. Keratoconus Natural Progression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 11 529 Eyes. Ophthalmology. 2019;126(7):935-945. PMID 30858022. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.02.029
- Chilibeck CM, Brookes NH, Gokul A, et al. Changing Trends in Corneal Transplantation in Aotearoa/New Zealand, 1991 to 2020: Effects of Population Growth, Cataract Surgery, Endothelial Keratoplasty, and Corneal Cross-Linking for Keratoconus. Cornea. 2022;41(6):680-687. PMID 34267061. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000002812
Frequently asked questions
At Rose, a standard adult eye examination is $129. A new patient appointment takes 45 minutes, and imaging and a full pre-examination workup are included in that price rather than added afterwards. Children and school students are $79, tertiary students $99, and an acute appointment for a sudden problem — a red eye, a foreign body, a sudden change in vision — is $69. Where further testing is needed it is quoted before it is done: visual fields $69, macular OCT $69, full OCT $194, anterior segment OCT $39, corneal topography $59, optical biometry $49, cycloplegic refraction $59. Specialist appointments are priced separately. A keratoconus consultation is $139 for 30 minutes or $169 for 45. An ortho-k consultation is $129. A full dry eye evaluation, which produces a written treatment plan, is $247 — it assumes a current full eye examination, either with us ($129) or a full examination record from another practice within the last six months. Fees elsewhere in New Zealand vary widely, and a lower advertised price usually means a shorter appointment with imaging charged as an extra or not offered at all. It is worth comparing what is included rather than the headline number. Ring us on 07 847 3195 if you want the fee for your situation confirmed before you book.
No practice can honestly claim that, and you should be wary of any that does — "best" depends entirely on what your eyes need. If your eyes are straightforward, several good practices in Hamilton will look after you well, and we would rather say that than pretend otherwise. What separates practices is what they can measure, and what they can treat when things are not straightforward. Rose was built around the complicated end. The Rose K lens for keratoconus was designed in this practice, and lenses of that family are, on the manufacturer's figures, among the most widely prescribed in the world for the irregular cornea. We hold swept-source OCT, corneal tomography, epithelial thickness mapping, two independent optical biometers for monitoring a child's short-sightedness, and objective tear film assessment. For dry eye we hold intense regulated pulsed light, LipiFlow, Blephasteam, Tixel and Rexon-Eye — to the best of our knowledge no other practice in New Zealand has all of these under one roof. A better question than "who is best" is "who is set up for what I have". Ask any practice you are considering how long the appointment is, what they can measure, and whether imaging is included or extra. Those answers will tell you more than a ranking would.
Not usually as a full examination, but there are genuinely free and subsidised pathways worth knowing about. Pre-school children are screened free through the B4 School Check, and there is vision screening in schools. Both are screenings rather than eye examinations — they are designed to catch obvious reduced vision and they miss a great deal, including focusing problems and early short-sightedness. A child who passes a screening can still need glasses. Children under 16 whose family holds a Community Services Card, or who hold a current High Use Health Card, may be eligible for the government spectacle subsidy towards an examination and glasses. MSD criteria apply, and we accept MSD and WINZ payment cards. Southern Cross members can use their optical benefits with us, and we offer Afterpay, Genoapay, QCard and GoCardless. We also run two free 15-minute chats. The myopia chat is for parents of a short-sighted child who want the options explained and want help deciding what is actually right for their family, with our experience behind that decision rather than a brochure. The ortho-k chat is for anyone considering overnight lenses who wants to understand what is involved before committing. Neither is an eye examination, but both are a proper conversation with someone who does this work. If cost is the reason you have been putting off having your eyes checked, ring us on 07 847 3195 and say so. We would rather find a way than have you not come.
While payment is generally required on the day of appointment, we do offer a number of payment options including Afterpay, Genoapay, QCard, and GoCardless.
Yes, we do.
Yes, you can.
Yes, if you are under 16 years of age you may be eligible for a subsidy for glasses. MSD criteria apply.
No. We are closed on public holidays and long weekends as we believe our staff should have the chance to enjoy this time with friends and family.
If your eyes are straightforward, almost any good optometrist can look after you well, and we would rather say that than pretend otherwise. Come to us when something is not straightforward: a prescription that will not settle, a cornea that has changed shape, a child whose short-sightedness is moving faster than it should, an eye surface that has stopped being comfortable, or a diagnosis you have been given but do not understand. Those problems are decided by measurement, and measuring them properly needs instruments most practices do not have.
Yes, and you do not need to justify it. A second opinion is not a criticism of whoever saw you first — very often they were right, and what you actually needed was the finding explained and the numbers put in front of you. What we can add is measurement. We can image the layers of your cornea and retina, map the epithelium, quantify how far your cornea sits from normal, measure the length of your eye and check your tear film objectively. That turns “something is not right” into a number, and a number either explains the problem or rules it out. Bring any previous scans, prescriptions and letters. Comparison against your own past results is often the most valuable thing in the room.
Usually. Complex is what this practice was built around — keratoconus, corneal grafts, irregular corneas after surgery or injury, severe dry eye, high prescriptions, and eyes that have been told they are not fittable with contact lenses. The Rose K lens for keratoconus was designed in this practice, and lenses of that family are, on the manufacturer's figures, among the most widely prescribed in the world for the irregular cornea. If we cannot help, we will tell you at the first appointment and tell you who can, rather than taking you through a course of treatment that was never going to work.
Not necessarily. “Not fittable” usually means not fittable with the lens designs and the measurements available at the time. Corneal mapping, epithelial thickness imaging and modern scleral and custom lens designs have moved a long way, and eyes that were genuinely unfittable ten years ago are often routine now. What we can promise is an honest answer after we have measured, not before.
Measure things that are usually not measured. Swept-source OCT of the cornea gives us tomography, full-thickness mapping, epithelial thickness mapping and an objective ectasia risk score. Retinal OCT with autofluorescence shows cellular-level change without any dye being injected. Optical biometry measures the length of the eye to a hundredth of a millimetre, which is how myopia is properly monitored. Objective tear film assessment and osmolarity replace guessing about dry eye. Most of these produce a baseline you can be compared against for the rest of your life, and that comparison is frequently worth more than any single result.
No. Anyone can book directly. Many of our patients are referred by their own optometrist, their GP or an ophthalmologist, and just as many simply ring us. A referral letter is useful because it saves repeating history, but it is not a requirement and it is not a condition of being seen.
No, and we would not build a referral practice on that basis. We accept referrals every week from optometrists across the Waikato and well beyond — Specsavers, OPSM, Bailey Nelson, Visique, For Eyes and independent practices alike. The patient comes to us for the part that needs our instruments or our lens work, and goes back to you with a written plan and the imaging. We are also glad to talk a case through before you refer, and if you have an OCT but no biometer we can help you get objective myopia measures out of the instrument you already own. Please contact us for co-management.
Waiting is the one thing that cannot be undone. Short-sightedness is axial — the eye is physically growing too long — and that length does not come back. What treatment does is slow the rate of growth, so the earlier it starts the more length is saved. We measure axial length directly on two independent biometers and plot it against normal growth curves, which means we can see a child drifting off their expected curve before the prescription changes. There is a free 15-minute myopia chat if you want to understand the options before committing to anything. It is worth being precise about what we are all trying to achieve. Myopia control does not stop a child's eyes changing and no practice should tell a parent it will. What it does, reliably and across many published trials, is slow the rate at which the eye lengthens — and because the risk of retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy and glaucoma in later life rises with every extra millimetre, slowing that growth is how a child is kept out of the range where sight is genuinely at risk. After seventeen years of focusing on this, we are now seeing children on customised plans whose axial length is not progressing at all over a monitoring period, and in some cases measurements that come back slightly shorter than the ones before them. That is our own clinical observation in our own patients rather than a trial result, and it has to be read carefully, because the choroid thickens when treatment is working and part of an apparent reduction can be that thickening rather than the eye itself shortening. That is precisely why we measure both. We are not yet able to tell a parent that we can stop myopia in its tracks, and we will not say it until we can.
Two things: we measure it before treating it, and we hold every current treatment technology in one building. Most dry eye is treated on the basis of symptoms, which is why drops so often fail. A tear film can be failing because the oil layer is blocked, because the water layer is short, because the surface is inflamed, or because the lids are the problem, and those need different treatments. We assess the tear film objectively with TearCheck — tear film stability, the oil layer, lid and gland imaging, and an inflammation measure — and measure tear osmolarity, the saltiness of the tears, which is the closest thing to a laboratory number for dry eye. Then we treat the cause. Rose holds intense regulated pulsed light for inflammation and gland function, LipiFlow thermal pulsation to clear blocked meibomian glands from the inner lid surface, Blephasteam controlled-humidity warming, Tixel thermomechanical treatment for the lids, and Rexon-Eye quantum molecular resonance for the more severe and treatment-resistant cases. At the time of writing, and to the best of our knowledge, no other optometrist or ophthalmologist in New Zealand has all of these available under one roof. We say that as a statement of fact rather than a boast, and we would be glad for it to stop being true. Dry eye is one of the most common and most under-treated conditions we see, and there are far more people living with it than one practice can look after. Any practice wanting to build this kind of service has our encouragement and our help — please contact us for co-management, and send us the cases you are not yet set up for. Why holding all of them matters is simple. A practice with one dry eye machine will offer you that machine. Holding all of them means the assessment decides the treatment, rather than the equipment deciding it — and when the first approach does not work, the next one is in the next room rather than in another city.
Yes — from around six weeks of age. Babies and toddlers are tested with Cardiff acuity cards and retinoscopy, neither of which needs the child to read a letter, name a picture or say a word. Most of the findings that matter in a young child cause no symptoms and are invisible to a parent, which is exactly why they need looking for.
There is one good reason: a baseline. Almost everything we look for — glaucoma, macular change, a cornea beginning to alter shape, an eye that is lengthening — is diagnosed by comparison over time rather than by a single reading. A scan taken while everything is normal is the reference every future scan is measured against, and it is the one you cannot go back and take later.
Because measurement takes time and we would rather not split it across visits. A first appointment usually involves imaging as well as examination, and you should expect to have the results shown to you and explained rather than summarised. If a problem is genuinely straightforward we will say so and keep it short.
In NZ an optometrist can calculate the prescription for glasses, fit contact lenses, diagnose and treat eye conditions and infections with medication. They can also manage ocular injuries including removing foreign objects. If surgery or specialist treatment is required they can refer to an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), hospital, or other health care specialist. NZ-trained optometrists must complete a 5-year degree at the University of Auckland before becoming registered.
A dispensing optician has formal training in optical dispensing. They are qualified to help a client choose frames, read a prescription, discuss lens options, take measurements, order and fit glasses.
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has specialised in the treatment of serious eye disease and ocular surgery such as cataract removal. They do not typically prescribe glasses or contact lenses.
Not always, and the difference is usually time and instruments rather than the optometrist. A low advertised fee generally buys a shorter appointment aimed at producing a spectacle prescription. That is a legitimate service and for many people it is enough. What it often does not include is retinal imaging, OCT scanning of the optic nerve and macula, measurement of eye length, or objective assessment of the tear film — the tests that find glaucoma before you notice it, detect macular change early, monitor a child's short-sightedness properly, or explain why your eyes feel gritty. At Rose a new patient appointment is 45 minutes, and imaging and the full pre-examination workup sit inside the $129 rather than on top of it. We are not the cheapest and do not try to be. Whichever practice you choose, three questions are worth asking: how long is the appointment, is imaging included or charged separately, and what happens to the images afterwards. A scan that is taken and kept becomes the baseline every future scan is compared against, and that comparison is frequently worth more than any single result.
Start with an optometrist in almost every case. An optometrist is your first point of contact for eye health and vision — examining the eyes, prescribing glasses and contact lenses, diagnosing eye disease, and in New Zealand treating many conditions with prescription medicines. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor and eye surgeon who treats serious disease and performs surgery such as cataract removal, and who does not usually prescribe glasses or contact lenses. Neither is better than the other; they do different jobs. Most eye problems are diagnosed and managed by an optometrist, and where surgery or specialist medical treatment is needed we refer you promptly and stay involved in your care. The exception is anything sudden and severe: sudden loss of vision, a curtain across your vision, severe eye pain with a red eye, or a shower of new floaters and flashes. Phone us on 07 847 3195 rather than booking online — a person, not a calendar, decides how quickly you are seen — or go to hospital.
We are at 38 Lake Road in Frankton, with parking on site, a few minutes from the city centre and straightforward to reach from the western side of Hamilton. Our patients come from right across the city — Frankton, Dinsdale, Nawton, Te Rapa, Glenview, Hamilton East, Hillcrest, Chartwell, Rototuna and the central city — and from across the wider Waikato, including Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Matamata, Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Otorohanga and Raglan. Because much of what we do is specialist work, a good number travel considerably further. We regularly see patients from Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Taranaki and the lower North Island for keratoconus, scleral and custom contact lens fitting, and complex dry eye — and we see patients from overseas who combine treatment with a trip. If you are travelling a distance, tell us when you book and we will group your appointments so the journey is worth making.
Forty-five minutes for a new patient, and the appointment is built so the measuring is done before you sit down with the optometrist. A full pre-examination workup and imaging are included in the fee rather than charged on top: assessment of your vision and prescription, examination of the front and back of the eye, eye pressure, and retinal imaging that becomes your permanent baseline. You will leave knowing what we found, what it means, and what — if anything — needs doing. If the honest answer is that nothing needs doing, that is what you will hear. If something needs watching or treating, you get a clear plan and a review date. Where a specific problem needs a specific test — visual fields, OCT, corneal topography, eye length measurement — those are quoted to you before they are done, never added afterwards without your agreement. Existing patients returning for a routine examination are booked for 30 minutes. Please arrive ten minutes early, and bring your current glasses or contact lenses, any recent prescription or referral letter, and a note of the medications you take, because some affect the eyes.
Yes. We keep acute appointments for sudden problems — a red or painful eye, something in the eye, a sudden change in vision, new flashes or floaters — and we see you the same day wherever we can. An acute appointment is $69. Phone first, on 07 847 3195, rather than booking online. A two-minute call establishes whether you need us or the hospital, and a person, not a calendar, decides how quickly you are seen. Any Hamilton optometrist can be phoned for a same-day problem. If we cannot fit you in, we will tell you straight away so you can try the next nearest practice rather than wait. Some things should not wait for an appointment at all. For a chemical splash, rinse the eye with clean water straight away and keep rinsing, then go to the hospital emergency department. For sudden loss of vision, a curtain or shadow across your vision, a penetrating injury, or severe eye pain with a red eye, phone us immediately during opening hours; outside our hours, go to the Waikato Hospital emergency department or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice. You do not need to be an existing patient, and you do not need a referral.
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