Keratoconus and the operating microscope.

The slit lamp microscope is widely used in assessing patients pre-operatively and post-operatively with conical cornea which is a less sophisticated form of operating microscope. It is operative in terms of being used constantly in the surgeon's consulting rooms for the assessment of the patients pre- and post-operatively and therefore occupies a large proportion of the time involved in the treatment of these people. The management of these patients involves not only their local corneal disease but often more important the management of their emotional and medical problems particularly when there are associated atopic problems of eczema and asthma. Unfortunately there is no microscope or easy method in the control of these problems.