International Keratoconus Academy continues to provide cutting-edge education

The First Annual IKA Keratoconus Symposium: Front to Back and Everything In Between will be held on April 22-23 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The International Keratoconus Academy of Eye Care Professionals (IKA) was founded in 2014 to promote the continuous professional and scientific advancement of keratoconus and other forms of corneal ectasia. IKA’s primary mission is to share professional education and best practices for improved patient care and quality of life. IKA is governed by a Board of Directors and a Medical Advisory Board (consisting of experts in optometry, ophthalmology and related ophthalmologists) and has free access to membership.

S. Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, FSLS,

In the decades leading up to the beginning of the 21st century, the education, research and detection of corneal ectasis (including keratoconus) stagnated. In the early 2000s, a renaissance of significant advances in technology improved the understanding and detection of keratoconus and corneal ectasia. These new principles and innovations began to become widely available commercially. However, a group of cornea and contact lens experts identified significant gaps that needed to be addressed within the eye care community; education and clinical practice have lagged far behind the emergence and commercialization of new research and technology in the larger medical world. As a result, IKA was born.

Andrew S. Morgenstern, OD, FAAO, FNAP

Since then, IKA has established itself as the primary source for the most up-to-date information on keratoconus and all forms of corneal ectasia. Through live presentations at eye care meetings (domestic and international), virtual training including IKA’s ongoing webinar series, and publications and reports in the professional literature and media, IKA has taught and shared the most up-to-date principles of keratoconus care to patients improve care worldwide.

IKA has also made a positive impact on patients’ lives through research. IKA conducted a large-scale prospective study determining the pediatric prevalence of keratoconus (based on the evaluation of more than 2000 people aged 3 to 18 years). This research study, which analyzed each participant’s corneal tomography, has led to a clearer and new understanding of the prevalence of keratoconus in this age group. This study will allow more individuals to be identified as early as possible in the disease process, allowing for early intervention and potentially preventing lifelong vision loss.

As IKA continued to grow, the next step was to establish a combined live and virtual meeting dedicated solely to keratoconus. The First Annual IKA Keratoconus Symposium: Front to Back and Everything In Between will be held on April 22-23 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Many of the world’s best-known and respected experts will cover topics related to keratoconus diagnosis and treatment. The symposium will be co-chaired by S. Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, FSLS; Andrew S. Morgenstern, OD, FAAO, FNAP; and Elizabeth Yeu, MD.

This will be a unique meeting involving all the ophthalmic professions and entirely dedicated to keratoconus and the people with this disease who rely on us for their treatment.