Curiosity about graft waiting times

[Alison Fisher]

I've noticed in a few threads that people seem to know when they are having their grafts weeks and weeks in advance. When I had mine I had roughly six months on the waiting list then between two and three week's notice of the actual date of the op. Have things changed or am I reading the threads wrong?

[GarethB]

The same thought had crossed my mind.

The only time I knew a definite date was because my left eye had a cornea that had been stored. The right eye was fresh so I had practically no warning of the operation date.

[Alison Fisher]

Remind me how old your right graft is Gareth. I've got a brain like a sieve.

When I first heard about grafts I was told it was a case of getting a phone call and dropping everything to get to the hospital asap so when it actually came to it to have a few week's notice made it a lot less stressful (especially with young children to organise).

[Anne B]

I was offered 3 dates for my graft. I'm sure she said they could get the material from a certain date. And then it was a case of when the surgeon could do it.

Anne

[GarethB]

Alison,

Right eye was done in 1989 and the left in 1990.

[James Colclough]

I had a definite date or so i thought.

I then spent the next 16 weeks trying to get an appointment to discuss.

Finally saw someone 4 weeks before proposed op.

Cancelled at my request. I informed all concerned.

The friday before the planned op, received call to say op cancelled as no material available. i reminded them I had cancelled.

I was told that this does happen and op date can move,

[Prue B]

Here I was given definite dates for both corneas. 1995 and 1996. I had to ring to confirm 2 days earlier and with the first one just turned up on the day. The second I was given a date then a week before was called to get ready to come in because he had 2 corneas. Then he rang back because they were unsuitable, then when I rang, for the dated surgery no cornea was available and I had the graft preformed 2 days later.

[Gareth2]

when my time came for graft I was given 3 months notice for operation date then I had to cancel due to personal circumstances and waited another 3 months for the graft. so I guess it varies in hospitals.

[Andrew MacLean]

I was given a pretty long lead in time, and was even asked to suggest an alternative date if the one they had given me was not good (it was and I didn't).

Andrew

[Louise Pembroke]

with my first it was a case of wait for the phone call as I reached the top of the list. With my second I had a date weeks in advance