UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi folks,

It looks like a may have found this site in the nick of time.

After putting it off for a nuber of years, i am booked in for agraft in my right eye on the 12 of June at Gartnavel, Glasgow. To give you a brief insight my background, I was diagnosed with KC at the age of 12 and started wearing hard lenses at 13. I am now 25 and for the last 3 maybe 4 years my right eye deterioated so much that I have been unable to wear a lens in my right eye. Through some persuasion from my other half, I finally plucked up the courage do go for the graft. Furthermore, driving to Edinburgh back and forward everyday, I have found headlights and bright sunshine increasingly hard to deal with in the past year.

As you can imagine, I've read up on the procedure for donkeys years hoping it would never materialise. Now that it has, I'd be grateful if someone could help in answering a few practical questions:

Assuming the graft goes reasonably well, how quickly can I expect to be off my work (office job)? Unfortunately I've been in my new job for less than a year and I'm somewhat concerned that the operation could hinder my career prospects in the short term.

Another issue which I can't find info on is flying. Subsequent to the graft, when is it safe to fly again?

I know in the large scheme of things such issues should be deemed irrelevant but unfortunately my operation coincides with a time when I'm trying to organise a wedding and get a new house.

Any assistance is much appreciated.

Thanks

Stuart

Hello Stuarty

Welcome to the forum!

I had my grafts at Gartnavel; I think very highly of the staff there: ohthalmologists, nurses, optometrists

I had my second graft during my annual leave. usually off work about two weeks.

Your Doc will tell you how soon you can fly.

Congratulations on your coming marriage! It is lovely to hear your good news. In your place I'd let someone else take the strain of the arrangements

Every good wish.

Andrew

I was advised to reckon on 2 weeks off work, to allow for getting over a general anaesthetic.
If you're lucky enough to have one under local, proably less than that, al being well.
The thing you mustn't do is lift, or push or pull heavy weights about. as long as there's none of that in your job (or you can get someone else to refill the photocopier hoppers) there shouldn't be many problems.
You probably already know it is likely to be a year to 18 months before the eye stabilises to give constant vision. It can be corrected before then, but unless you get sclerals, fitting news lens/specs is likely to be like trying to hit a moving target. How well you'll do working with one eye meanwhile, I guess only time will tell.
SOme people find they are very light sensitive for a while after a graft, whiich can make working with computers a nuisance. Dark glasses, and maybe cahging the computer screen colour scheme, can help.
Flyiing - don't know, sorry.
Good luck with the op.
Rosemary