Meet Our Keratoconus Specialist in Raleigh, North Carolina
For the past 25 years, Raleigh has been more than just a place to live; it's been my home. A proud graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, my journey led me to Salus University (formerly the Pennsylvania College of Optometry) in a charming suburban town outside Philadelphia. Optometry became my chosen path for a multitude of reasons, driven by a profound desire to care for the body's most cherished organ—the eyes—and safeguard the most precious sense, sight.
During my academic years, I honed my skills through externships at the Queens VA Hospital and the Brooklyn VA Hospital, where I developed a profound understanding of ocular diseases. This experience crystallized my commitment to comprehensive eye care. In 2007, armed with my degree, I eagerly returned to Raleigh, NC, and have been dedicated to serving the community ever since.
In 2014, my wife and I decided to turn our shared dream into reality by opening a private practice in Raleigh. Fusion Eye Care & Fusion Dental Care emerged as a unique venture, integrating essential services into one convenient location. Our mission is unwavering—to provide the highest standard of comprehensive care, utilizing cutting-edge technology within an upbeat, family-oriented environment.
Acknowledging the plethora of options available to patients post-prescription for eyewear, I've pioneered a practice model at Fusion Eye Care that transcends the traditional approach. Our success is rooted in exceptional service rather than mere product sales. I believe in answering every patient's questions comprehensively, maintaining effective communication with primary care physicians, and referring only to the best surgeons when necessary.
As co-owners of Fusion Dental Care and Fusion Eye Care, my wife and I are deeply committed to addressing any questions or concerns you may have. To our existing patients, we express gratitude for making our vision of integrated eye and dental care a resounding success.
If you're new to the area or seeking a fresh perspective on eye care and dentistry, we invite you to experience our office personally. We are eager to showcase our commitment to excellence and answer any questions you may have about our unique approach to healthcare.
Your Optometrist, Kiarash Bassiri, OD
Our Doctor Can Diagnosis and Treat Keratoconus
Your cornea is the transparent, outer lens of your eye, and it typically has a smooth dome shape. Keratoconus describes a condition in which the corneal structure isn’t strong enough to maintain a healthy ball shape.
Meet with our Keratoconus Specialist in Raleigh, North Carolina to define your eye's condition and ways for treatment.
As a result, the cornea bulges outward into more of a cone. Our professional optometric team at our eye care clinic is knowledgeable about how to diagnose and treat keratoconus.
Keratoconus is rare, with an estimated one person out of every 2,000 having the condition. It generally appears in the teenage years and can progress slowly or rapidly.
Keratoconus also runs in families, so if you or your children are at risk, it’s advised to contact us for a thorough eye exam.
Causes of Keratoconus
Your cornea is held in place by very small collagen fibers. When they are weakened and too fragile, they aren’t able to preserve the round shape of your cornea.
A reduction in the protective antioxidants of your cornea, which act to destroy damaging by-products made naturally by corneal cells, is what causes keratoconus.
In addition to genetics, some types of eye injuries may increase your chance of being diagnosed with keratoconus.
Specific ocular diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, vernal keratoconjunctivitis and retinopathy of prematurity, as well as some systemic conditions (Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Leber's congenital amaurosis and osteogenesis imperfecta) are also associated with this corneal abnormality.
Our Keratoconus Specialist in Raleigh, North Carolina has years of experience identifying the various levels of keratoconus and other corneal conditions.
Symptoms of Keratoconus
When the shape of your cornea begins to bulge, it alters your eyesight in two different ways. As the cone shape forms, your normally smooth corneal surface becomes wavy, called irregular astigmatism. Additionally, as your cornea expands, vision becomes increasingly nearsighted. Focusing becomes impossible without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Usually, the problems begin in one eye and develop later in the other eye too.
Typically, patient’s eyeglass prescription will change often as the vision becomes worse and contact lenses will be difficult to wear due to discomfort and improper fit.
When keratoconus become more severe (which usually takes a long time however on occasion can happen rather quickly), the cornea can begin to swell and form scar tissue. This scar tissue can result in even further visual distortion and blurred vision.
Altogether, these changes can create the following symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Streaking of lights
- Halos around bright lights at night; glare
- Sudden change of vision in only one eye
- Objects appear distorted, both near and distant
- Double vision from just one eye
- Triple ghost images
How We Diagnose Keratoconus
Our eye doctors will inspect carefully for the signs of keratoconus during your comprehensive eye exam. It’s critical to inform us of any symptoms that you’ve been experiencing. To diagnose the condition, we’ll measure the shape of your cornea. Computerized Corneal Topography is used for this procedure, which takes a picture of your cornea and analyzes it instantly.