UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

I am having keratoconus in my right eye and scheduled for an graft in the month of may. Presently I am using an RGP though not feeling comfortable. As I am working as an flight steward I have some doubts regarding the curing time. From this discussion forum I came to know that the heeling time is atleast an year and all the stitches will be removed only after an year.
My doubt is whether these stitches will be prominantly visible to others seeing me. Will others be able find the stitches in eye easily. If so is there any ointment or any other technique which can cover up these stitches so that others seeing me cannot find anything abnormal in my eye. Kindly help me if anyone has idea regarding this as this may help me to continue my career in the post operative period.
regards
chemmanian

I let my friend to look my eye and if he looked very closely then he saw them. Commonly the stitches are unnoticeable specially if that person doesn't know what to look for. After a graft I looked every day to mirror but i noticed my stitches a few weeks later in my car when i was driving, sun shined directly into my eye:)

Here is picture - http://www.hot.ee/alvin18/eye.jpg

nylon 10-0 are used for the sutures and are very fine. they are not easily visible unless you go very close and very light coloured eyes. i cant see mine in the mirror unless i use a really bright pentorch. dont worry about it

My grafted eye is so far very short-sighted- that is, I can see about 52 away clearly and no further.
If I peer in a mirror from close range I cann't see my stitches at all. I've tried repeatedly!
Well, stitch - it is a single, zigzam 16-point running stitch. And yes it is done in 10/0 nylon, though apparently the surgeon had needles ready threaded with 7/0 silk and something else whose name I forget but used the nylon.
One person who looked closely said she could jsut see my stitch - no-one else has either tried or been able to.
Chances of an airline passenger in cabin of aircraft spotting stitches - remote, I'd have thought, unless they knew what they were looking for.
I suppose it is possible, if you have to do a lot of going through airport security systems with biometric recognition scans, that if/when stitches are taken out the iris recognition won't let in in any more! - of course, you have the perfect explanation for this, and would just have to gt yourself rescanned and re-registered with the system.
Rosemary

chemmanian

Welcome to the forum

Part of the issue is the quality of sight in your other eye. If you have good sight in the eye they are not going to graft, then it may be that you would hardly notice the difference as you switch from bad eye to good.

Pouring champagne for a passenger at the window may be a bit of a problem as I do find distances at "arms length" range a bit difficult to judge.

All the best

Andrew

My eyes are brown and it is practically impossible to see my stitches unless you shine a direct light close up, i can't see them in the mirror, but have managed to take a photo with a flash. Don't worry about it.