/ News
How CAIRS Surgery in Victoria is Transforming Keratoconus Treatment
Nexus’s premier eye hospital, Manningham Private Hospital is proud to offer CAIRS surgery – an eye procedure that’s reshaping how we treat keratoconus, a condition that causes the thinning and bulging of the cornea, leading to blurry vision. Instead of synthetic ring segments, CAIRS uses corneal donor segments to improve the shape of the cornea, leading to improved vision.
Keratoconus is more common than many realise: affecting around 1 in 84 young Australians at age 20, according to the Raine Study.
CAIRS (Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments) surgery is a less invasive alternative to complete full thickness transplant. This innovative procedure was introduced to Victoria in August 2024 by ophthalmologists Dr Nathan Wong, A/Prof Elaine Chong and Dr Alexander Poon. At Manningham Private Hospital, we pride ourselves on providing world-class, specialist ophthalmic facilities with a dedicated Femtosecond laser suite located within our day procedure unit to allow seamless transition in providing CAIRS surgery in Melbourne.
Benefits of CAIRS:
- Uses donor corneal tissue (not synthetic material)
- Gently reshapes the cornea with the aim of improving vision
- Is minimally invasive and avoids the need for sutures
- Offers faster recovery and fewer complications
This marks an exciting milestone in vision care for Victoria, and Manningham Private couldn’t be prouder to be the first Victorian hospital to offer this ground-breaking procedure in partnership with Dr Wong, A/Professor Chong and Dr Poon.
Pictured: Dr Wong using the laser suite at Manningham Private Hospital.








