UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Greetings, all! I began the day with a 1 1/2 hour ride into New Orleans to the LSU Eye Clinic and after an inspection by my two surgeons they removed every other stitch. All told, eight down, eight to go.

As you all predicted numerous times in this forum, the stitch removal went easily. And, yes, I could hear them PING when cut. However, within an hour, I was in incredible, foot-tapping pain, and of course had to get to work. I wiped the tears away the remainder of the day and put on my best false happy-face for clients. I called the clinic and my #2 surgeon said that pain was normal as he had to pick into the tissue to pick up the stitches and that there would be some swelling, too. Right on all counts.

I'll attach a link to a picture if you'd care to see the cornea, about 3 hours after stitch removal. My eye got a lot redder as the day went on.......but the pain has subsided somewhat now in the evening. http://www.forumpictureprocessor.com/pi ... itches.jpg

My visiion, of course, is not really good yet, and as you all have been right so far, I don't expect it to be REALLY GOOD for some time to come.

Rock 'n roll, Piper

Piper

Can I ask you a question....well ask you to ask your consultant lol.....How are they going to control th astigmatism in the cornea if they have removed the sutures so fast?

I find it fascinating that your sutures have come out so fast!!..either that of you have super human recovery lol

Jay

pain,pain? nobody mentioned pain!!!!! having the stiches removes hurts does it!!!!!! oh great!!!

stich removal does not hurt everyone, mine were completly pain free.

I really don't know how long they will leave the remaining eight stitches in, but there was no talk of taking them out anytime soon as of yesterday. They took the first batch to allow the cornea to settle evenly and to eliminat some surface bumps between stitches and to hopefully allow a tiny fold in my Descimet's layer (spelling?) to lay down flat.

A regular reading of this forum indicates that there are more ways to perform and manage this surgery than there are recipes for crawfish gumbo!

Piper

Piper - That is all really good and i'm hoping that it all settles down for you soon! Hehe isn't it nice when you can read here and know what to expect!!! Good luck with the vision! just be patient!!!

Denner - Sometimes stitch removal can be painful but on the 24 i had removed i only felt one because it was the last one and my cornea had healed over the top so he had to make a tiny cut to get it out. Please don't worry about it, most stitches come out very easily and the only ones i have read here that were a little painful were the continous ones. I had seperate stitches which i thought was nicer as he can decide when to remove them to control the astigmatism.

Take care both ... Sweet X x X

Mine definately hurt for the rest of the day when they did my left eye 3 yrs ago, but it was fine the next morning - no pain and better vision! I'm off to Liverpool tomorrow morning and as it's 12 months post op for the right eye now I think they might be taking the stitches out in that eye. Unfortunately I'm quite squeamish - think it's that I could hear the stitches being snipped and I nearly fainted! Hope I don't do that tomorrow! I'm also taking a couple of tramodol pain killers with me just in case!

In my experience the amount of discomfort depends how many stitches they take out - which is only logical really isn't it? When I had my continuous stitch out my eye was very sore for a few days but when I've had them out one or two at a time from my other graft it's been no problem. My eye feels a bit sore and is more weepy than usual but within forty eight hours it's back to normal.

I found the actual process of them being taken out no big deal. It certainly didn't live up to the horrors my imagination had conquered up. The crunch as the stitch is cut is a bit disconcerting but fine if you're expecting it. It's always the unknown that worries us isn't it?

Dear Sweet......Patience? I have patience at the bench........but REALLY, TRULY WANT TO SEE AGAIN. It has been years....many years really....just like you all, of course......and I just want to see again, like everyone else. i want to read a menu at the restaurant, i want to read a phone book, I want to see road signs.......and a football game....and the faces of the violin section at a concert......that's not asking too much is it?

I expected my accuity to drop off after stitch removal and that has happened. I hope it sets better soon. I have a variety of multiple images in the graft eye. The doctors say that will get better and is because of the surface contours caused by the stitches.

Yes, it is great to have this site, where we all speak this foreign language called KC and we all understand each other while living on this planet where the natives can SEE better than us.

Perhaps we have developed better imaginations as a result of having to live in our minds more than they do. At least it would be nice to think that there is an up-side to all of this.

Cheers, Piper

Piper

I guess you realize now that it is very uncommon for sutures to be removed so soon in the UK.

As to pain, when I had my first eye done and the sutures removed (in two batches of eight each), they gave me a local anesthtic first, so I felt nothing.

Andrew