UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Well, I was at the clinic today and saw Dr Ramaesh. I think I may ahve mentioned before that I think very highly of him and all his colleagues at The Tennant Eye Pavillion at Gartnavel General Hospital.

He was a little puzzled about my sight and sent me to have a refraction. The astigmatism in my right eye has steepened again, so I was given a new prescription for glasses. The astigmatism is evidently too steep now for a 'normal' lens so I am back to Zeiss lenses at £90 each.

I have an appointment again for 12 weeks, and am a little afraid that the increasing astigmatism may be due to the host tissue into which my PK was sewn becoming too thin and stretching.

Return of KC? Could just be the title of a smash hit horror film, yet to be made.

Anyhow, when the weather is as good as this, it is far too pleasant a day to be downcast. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that the optician I saw today at gartnavel was the first Optician I saw when I moved to Glasgow in 1985. There really is merit in having an opptician who knows your eyes, and has followed the development of your condition over a long number of years. The team at Gartnavel is fantastic.

I voted on my way home.

Andrew

Andrew,

Remind me how old the graft in that eye is?

Of the specialist I have spoken to since joining this forum they have a combined experience of a couple hundred years and have lost count of the number of KC patienst they have treated. Of all those cases, beteween them they are barely into double figures regarding cases like mine where KC has returned.

The only way you will know if the KC is back isa topography I think.

My wife has astigmatism more than anything but is not KC. For a laugh the optician checked her for KC when she went with me for one of my routine appointments. When she needs a prescription change it is more often for a change in astigmatism which has been put down to natural ageing.

Gareth

I had the PK in my right eye in December 2003.

The astigmatism did stabilize and then began to progress. After my most recent intervention (cataract, February 14 this year) the astigmatism was fairly low, but five weeks later it has progressed again and is now pushing a point where glasses are not going to be a practical solution.

I am not downcast about this, although I could have managed without having to go back to forking out £200 for a new pair of glasses every five weeks.

Thanks for getting back to me Gareth. It is possible that the steeper astigmatism is just an artifact of the eye healing.

Andrew

Andrew, i do hope the dreaded KC hasn't come back, hope all goes well at your next appointment.

If it has come back you will have to carry on using this forum, given out all your very wise words and encouragement to everyone, so that would be a good thing(if you get what i mean )

anne

I understand!

I was told just after my cataract operation that there was evidence that the tissue into which my PK had been sewn had thinned and was stretching. At that time the stretch was worling to my advantage, but it seems the tisse did not stop stretching when the maximum advantage had been achieved!

Anyhow; I'll keep you all posted.

Yours aye

Andrew