Pachymetry Test: How Thick Is Your Cornea, and Why Does It Matter?
A Pachymetry Test measures the exact thickness of your cornea - a number that quietly affects everything from how accurate your eye pressure reading is to whether you're a safe candidate for LASIK. At Save Sight Centre, it's performed as a quick, non-contact optical scan on our IOL Master, with no probe ever touching your eye.
Includes a non-contact IOL Master scan for both eyes, a printed report with doctor's remarks, and same-day results - no dilation or numbing drops needed.
Book Your ConsultationWhat Is a Pachymetry Test?
A quick, layman's explanation before you book.
What Conditions Does Pachymetry Help Diagnose?
Save Sight Centre uses pachymetry data to support diagnosis and monitoring of:
Glaucoma
Corneal thickness corrects your eye pressure reading, preventing under- or over-diagnosis.
Keratoconus
Detects early thinning, enabling timely treatment like corneal cross-linking.
Corneal Oedema
Quantifies swelling caused by injury, infection, or systemic disease.
Fuchs' Dystrophy
Tracks progressive corneal thickening to help time a transplant decision.
Post-Surgical Monitoring
Checks healing and detects complications like ectasia after LASIK or PRK.
When Should You Have a Pachymetry Test?
Save Sight Centre recommends a pachymetry test in the following situations:
Elevated eye pressure at a routine examTo correct and properly interpret your true glaucoma risk.
Being monitored for glaucomaCorneal thickness is a key factor in your ongoing risk assessment.
Diagnosed with keratoconus or Fuchs' dystrophyTo track disease progression over time.
Preparing for LASIK or PRKTo confirm your cornea is thick enough for safe refractive surgery.
Blurred vision or corneal swellingTo investigate symptoms of an underlying corneal disorder.
Family history of glaucomaFor a more complete risk profile alongside your pressure reading.
How Is the Pachymetry Test Done at Save Sight Centre?
Three simple phases: before, during, and after.
Preparation
- Remove soft lenses 24hrs / RGP lenses up to a week before
- Share any history of eye surgery, trauma, or infection
- No fasting or drop preparation needed
IOL Master Scan
- You look into the IOL Master and fixate on a light
- An optical scan measures thickness - no contact at all
- Both eyes are captured in seconds
Results
- Reading is available instantly - no waiting
- Resume driving and normal activities right away
- Doctor explains your number the same day
What Types of Pachymetry Tests Are There?
There are two main approaches - here's how they compare, and which Save Sight Centre uses.
| Ultrasound Pachymetry | Optical Pachymetry (IOL Master) | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | A probe touches the numbed cornea | No contact - uses light-based scanning |
| Comfort | Painless with numbing drops, but still contact-based | Sensation-free, nothing touches your eye |
| Infection Risk | Minimal, with proper probe sterilisation | None - no contact means no risk |
| Used at Save Sight Centre | Not our primary method | Yes - our standard approach on the IOL Master |
Is the Pachymetry Test Painful?
Not at all - especially the way Save Sight Centre performs it.
Zero Contact
The IOL Master scans your cornea using light - nothing ever touches your eye.
No Drops Needed
Since there's no contact, numbing drops aren't required for this test.
No Downtime
You can resume driving, reading, and all normal activities immediately afterward.
How to Interpret Pachymetry Test Results
Your result is measured in microns - here's what different ranges generally mean.
| Corneal Thickness | Interpretation | Clinical Implication |
|---|---|---|
| < 520 microns | Thinner than average | Higher glaucoma risk; eye pressure readings may be underestimated |
| 520-550 microns | Average (normal) | Standard glaucoma risk; pressure readings are typically accurate |
| > 550 microns | Thicker than average | Lower glaucoma risk; pressure readings may be overestimated |
These are general reference ranges. Save Sight Centre's doctors interpret your specific number alongside your eye pressure, optic nerve health, and overall risk profile - not in isolation.
What Are the Risks and Side Effects of Pachymetry?
Pachymetry is considered extremely safe, and Save Sight Centre's non-contact method removes even the minimal risks of the older technique.
No Infection Risk
Since the IOL Master never touches your eye, there's no risk of infection from the test.
No Irritation
Contact-based ultrasound methods can occasionally cause brief redness - our optical method avoids this entirely.
Safe for Repeat Testing
Because it's non-invasive, pachymetry can be repeated as often as needed for monitoring, with no cumulative risk.
What Are the Alternatives to Pachymetry?
There's no true substitute for direct corneal thickness measurement, but these complementary tools add related information.
Corneal Topography
Maps corneal shape and curvature - useful for keratoconus screening, though it doesn't precisely measure thickness.
Pentacam / OCT
Can generate detailed pachymetry maps as part of a broader corneal or retinal evaluation, when more than a single thickness reading is needed.
How Much Does a Pachymetry Cost in Delhi?
Save Sight Centre keeps pachymetry pricing simple and transparent - no hidden charges.
| Doctor | Consultation Includes | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pachymetry Test (Both Eyes) | Non-contact IOL Master scan + printed report + specialist review | ₹1,000 |
Why Choose Save Sight Centre for Your Pachymetry Test?
For over 15 years, our team in Adarsh Nagar has treated corneal thickness as one of the quiet, essential numbers behind good eye care - correcting glaucoma readings, confirming LASIK safety, and tracking corneal disease before it threatens vision.
We've measured corneal thickness for thousands of patients across Delhi NCR, using our IOL Master's non-contact technology so the test stays as comfortable as it is precise.
See Dr. Rajeev Jain's full profile →
See Dr. Shuchi Gupta's full profile →
Frequently Asked Questions About Pachymetry
Straight answers to the most common questions our patients search for - including a few that general guides often miss.
No, the pachymetry test at Save Sight Centre is completely painless. Since we use the IOL Master, a non-contact optical device, nothing touches your eye at all - you simply look into the machine while it scans.
The pachymetry scan itself takes only a few seconds per eye on Save Sight Centre's IOL Master, though the full appointment, including positioning, usually takes about 10 minutes.
Save Sight Centre performs pachymetry on the IOL Master, an advanced optical biometry device. This means your corneal thickness is measured with light-based scanning rather than an older ultrasound probe, so there's no contact with your eye at all.
No, dilating drops are not required for a pachymetry test at Save Sight Centre, since the IOL Master only needs to scan the front surface of your cornea, not the retina at the back of the eye.
Yes, you can resume all normal activities, including driving, immediately after a pachymetry test at Save Sight Centre. Since it's non-contact and doesn't involve dilation, there's no blurring or downtime.
No, they're related but different. Pachymetry specifically measures how thick your cornea is at one or more points, while a Pentacam scan captures a full 3D map of your entire corneal surface, including thickness, curvature, and elevation. Save Sight Centre may recommend either test depending on what your doctor needs to assess.
Your corneal thickness directly affects how accurate your eye pressure reading is. A thinner cornea can make your pressure reading look lower than it really is, while a thicker cornea can make it look higher. Save Sight Centre uses your pachymetry result to correct and properly interpret your glaucoma risk.
A pachymetry test at Save Sight Centre in Adarsh Nagar, Delhi costs ₹1,000, performed on our IOL Master with results reviewed by our eye specialist the same day.
If you're being monitored for glaucoma, keratoconus, or Fuchs' dystrophy, Save Sight Centre may recommend repeating your pachymetry test every 6-12 months to track any changes. A single baseline measurement is usually enough before LASIK, since corneal thickness doesn't normally change quickly in healthy eyes.
Often yes, and it's convenient - since Save Sight Centre's IOL Master is also used for cataract surgery biometry (measuring your eye for the right lens power), your pachymetry reading can sometimes be captured in the very same sitting if your doctor needs both.
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Know Your Corneal Thickness
Book your Pachymetry Test at Save Sight Centre today - ₹1,000, non-contact, same-day results.
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