Corneal scrape

You may have a corneal scrape if you have an ulcer on your eye or your consultant suspects you may have an infection such as acanthamoeba keratitis.

Your consultant will use anaesthetic eye drops to numb your eye for the procedure. You'll sit comfortably in front of a slit lamp - the same instrument used to for normal eye examinations. Your consultant will use a specialised microscope to guide them as they take a small sample of cells from your cornea using a sterile needle or tiny surgical instrument.

Taking the sample only takes a few moments, and you'll be asked to keep your eyes wide open while it's done.

Your consultant will explain the procedure to you and answer any questions you may have. They'll let you know if there is anything specific you need to do to prepare.

If you normally wear contact lenses, you'll usually need to wear glasses before the procedure and until your eye heals or the infection clears up.

You should be able to go home right after the sample has been taken. The procedure itself shouldn't be painful, but your eyes may feel a bit sore or irritated afterwards.

The sample of cells taken from your cornea will be sent to a lab and analysed. Your consultant will review the results and let you know next steps for treatment or additional tests.

If you need to use antibacterial eye drops, your consultant will explain how often you should apply these. They'll also let you know what else you can do to relieve any painful or irritating symptoms.