Another Transplant! Help needed!

[david111]

Dear all,
1 am a 23 years old young man living in Denmark, suffering from KC for almost 10 years, When diagnosed with KC in 1997,I started wearing RGP on both eyes, which gave me perfect vision and okay comfort. The KC on my eyes has been developing very fast during the past four years. I felt the more severe left eye couldn’t tolerate the lens any more and underwent a Lamella transplant on this eye in Sep of 2004. The healing process was long and the irritation also last a long time. After three months when the sutures were removed, the vision was much better than before, 50 percent with glass. My doctor then performed a LASIK on it. After the LASIK, the corrected vision by glass is actually worse with a lot more astigmatism than before. The horrible feeling and photophobia when I tried RGP was not less than PRE-OP. I surrendered to RGP finally

I contacted Boston Sight Foundation about Boston scleral lens. The doctor there was so nice to recommend me a doctor called Visser in Holland who fits a similar lens to them. I went to Holland last year and fit a pair of sclera lens. The lens is comfortable compared to RGP and the photophobia is reduced dramatically. But the vision is not good as expected, only 60% on the left eye and 70% o the right eye. The vision on the right eye varies from time to time on this eye, getting cloudy sometimes. Compared to this, the left eye with 60% vision is much more functional. The reason must be that the right cornea has been too much washed out and formless by KC, but the left eye is functional with a transparent and healthy cornea.

In May 2006, I went to Rome and had MINI-ARK done on my right eye, which was already on the third stage of KC. It has been 8 months since the surgery, the vision is still poor like hell and the scars on the cornea make my eye very strained. My only sustained hope for waiting was destroyed when last week i went to my optician and found that the best corrected vision with whatever lens is no more than 40% percent. It will be nothing than wasting time if i wait two year as Doctor Lombardi said in Rome.

I am considering a cornea transplant also on the right eye. Although my left eye was transplanted here in Denmark for free, the result was not so good. I have contacted a doctor called Yaron S. Rabinowitz at Cornea-Genetic Eye Medical Institute in Los Angeles and probably will undergo a transplant followed by some Lasik if possible. Since i don't have any idea with the hospitals and doctors in US, is there anyone who knows this hospital or the doctor? Anyone has any suggestions on the hospitals and doctors that are famous at transplant and LASIK in US? Your assistance is highly appreciated!!!

Best wishes to all!!!

David

[jayuk]

David

Some story you had to tell there!

Youve certainly been there, got the tshirt, and obtained the battle scars!

I cant really answer your Q on the Hospitals et al in the US...but Im sure Piper and few other members may......when they read this thread!

J

[Andrew MacLean]

David

I am sorry that you feel the need to travel clear across the globe for your second transplant. I think it may be the experience of many that a relatively poor outcome from one graft does not necessarily mean that you will have a similar disappointment with a second.

Is there nowhere else in the EU that could give you the treatment for which you'd have to pay in the United States?

I am also sorry to learn that your experience of Mini ARK was not satisfactory.

Andrew

[Sweet]

David,

Sweet hello and welcome to the forum!

I just wanted to say that i am thinking of you, your story sounds really bad and i am sorry for where you are. Living in the UK i do not know any details from the states but hopefully you will get some replies later to this post.

Wishing you all the best, do come back and post to let us know how you get on!!

Love Sweet X x X