My story:Ectasia post LASIK

[BlackA]

I just would like to tell my little story.

I have a good eye (praying it won't degrade) so I am still fully functional, however I have been diagnosed an ectasia in my left eye after my LASIK operation. I needed an enhancement in that eye that probably caused it.

Ectasia(also known as secondary KC) is the artificially induced version of the disease. The LASIK surgery is very intrusive to the cornea, for example around 200microns of mine were consumed in my operation. I have researched that even you stay at safe parameters, like I was, you still can develop the ectasia due to several unfortunate and quite unknown reasons.

Right now I am at 20/200, quite irregular, a ghost in the lower and two ghosts in the upper, with a K of 38-40 and a highest K of 51
(I think the second is the one that is usually spoken about).

I'm starting with my RPG and although the tolerance seems right and I reach 20/25-20/30 I have heavy comfort problems that I hope will be solved after the adaptation period. I have
been told that the lens could stop the future deformation but I am quite sceptic about it.

I have detected poor knowledge of the doctors about my problem. Now that at last I know clearly I have the bulge I should try to get the best specialist as soon as possible. This seems quite difficult since ectasia a rare disease but I think that the numbers are growing
everyday as more operations as performed and ,unfortunately , there is the experience about KC.

I am amazed by the level of knowledge and courage displayed in this forum. Reading some stories I realize, as long as I maintain the integrity of my good eye(cross fingers), this seems a minor nuisance.

But I still feel quite worried about it which leads me to think if I am not being selfish feeling a little unlucky when there are so many big problems out there.

I understand I have a lot of work to do in the future trying to solve my problem.

I can only hope it will stabilize as soon as possible, as you surely
understand the waiting is one of the worst parts. Since my cornea
is very thin due to the operation (around 390 microns, 367 in its
thinnest point) I think I am not suitable for the INTACTS (450micrometers seems the minimum recommended).

After knowing of C3R thanks to this forum I will try to investigate that as soon as possible. Just a question ¿Does C3R require a minimum thickness as well?

Thank you for reading and I can't thank enough all of you for all the kindness displayed in this forum.

[Andrew MacLean]

In the UK, clinics are extremely cautious about offering LASIK treatment to anyone who shows the slightest risk of developing any side effects. In fact this is one way in which very early "sub clinical" Keratoconus is oftedn diagnosed.

I am so sorry to learn of your experience after your treatment. Still, more power to you that you managed to find the forum, and thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Keep us posted on how things work out.

Yours aye

Andrew

[Lesley Foster]

Sorry to hear your problems, I hope you manage to get it sorted out soon.

Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo.

Lesley.

[ashley wilson]

think it is 450 microns for c3r also. worth checking though.

[jayuk]

BlackA

C3R - There is a Dr in Mexico that does and has done it as fatr low as 320 microns. At the end of he day it all depends on the comfort zone of who is performing the treatment....in the UK I am led to beleive 400-450 may be the figure there comfortable with.

However, let me explain the risk with performing it on a very thin cornea.....visualise the cornea; now think of the cornea 300 Microns thick at the periphery and say 350 towarsd the centre....now applying C3R to this eye will thicken the cornea (but not everywhere on/in the tissue).....thats one of the results of C3R as well as changing the shape of the cornea slightly.......now lets say that the c3r works more on the 350micron area and less on the 300 micron..what do you think would happen?....similar to a house with bad foundations.......this is the very same story I told my consultant....to which I got a "this guy has too much time on his hands" look lol...but its true....again we dont have that much research on long term use of C3R....as in 15 years plus...but so far its all good.....but this is ONE of the reasons why people generaly tend not to perform this treatment on extremely thin corneas........

HTH

J