Consultant visit

General forum for the UK Keratoconus and self-help group members.

Click on the forum name, General Discussion Forum, above.

Moderators: Anne Klepacz, John Smith, Sweet

User avatar
John Smith
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1942
Joined: Thu 08 Jan 2004 12:48 am
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Graft(s) and spectacles
Location: Sidcup, Kent

Consultant visit

Postby John Smith » Sat 10 Feb 2007 3:02 pm

I had my 6 month post-DALK check-up yesterday. Things are progressing well, but slightly slower than originally hoped.

For those who remember that I had an odd DALK without a epithelium (front layer of the cornea), the healing process is slightly more complicated.

My consultant explained that the new epithelium cells are formed in the eye corner near the nose, and then slowly migrate onto the cornea. Well, the stitches are impeding this progress, and circular vortices are forming around each stitch. Most of the cornea is now covered to the required thickness, but there is an odd-shaped patch which is not.

That said, when looking at the projected eye charts, I could see the big "E" clearer unaided from my DALK eye than I could unaided through the PK eye. I found that quite exciting!

However, I can't see much more... but got to the third projected screen through the pinhole, so I guess that would be around the 6/24 or 6/18 mark.

He intends to keep the stitches in for another 6 months, and then hopes to see a great improvement.

In other news, he (Chad Rostron) has now been given ethics approval to start a trial comparing regular C3R against C3R with orthokeratography(?) where a rigid contact lens is used to help to mould the cornea into a better shape during the UV process. The hopes are that a decrease in KC of more than the usual 1 dioptre will be seen.
John

User avatar
Andrew MacLean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7703
Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Other
Location: Scotland

Postby Andrew MacLean » Sat 10 Feb 2007 4:35 pm

John

Are the hoping that your epithelium will have grown back around the sutures before they start taking them out?

Andrew
Andrew MacLean

User avatar
Sweet
Committee
Committee
Posts: 2240
Joined: Sun 10 Apr 2005 11:22 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
Location: London / South Wales

Postby Sweet » Sat 10 Feb 2007 4:43 pm

John,

Hoping that when the stitches are taken out it all heals as it should! It is good that you see better unaided though that is a good start!! :lol:
Sweet X x X

Image

User avatar
John Smith
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1942
Joined: Thu 08 Jan 2004 12:48 am
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Graft(s) and spectacles
Location: Sidcup, Kent

Postby John Smith » Sat 10 Feb 2007 5:22 pm

Andrew,

No, the new cells are actually gathered round the sutures - they are gathered in great big circles around them!

The idea is that by removing the stitches the cells will flow evenly over the cornea.

But as Sweet said, it is good that things are certainly improving. It's a long, slow road, but there should be good vision at the other end. Hopefully.
John

User avatar
jayuk
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 2148
Joined: Sun 21 Mar 2004 1:50 pm
Location: London / Manchester / Cheshire

Postby jayuk » Sat 10 Feb 2007 6:02 pm

John

Looks like progress.....although slower...but def good news...you must be happy!

J
KC is about facing the challenges it creates rather than accepting the problems it generates -
(C) Copyright 2005 KP

User avatar
GarethB
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 4916
Joined: Sat 21 Aug 2004 3:31 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
Location: Warwickshire

Postby GarethB » Sat 10 Feb 2007 9:00 pm

Progress slow or fast is good news in my book.
Gareth

User avatar
Lynn White
Optometrist
Optometrist
Posts: 1398
Joined: Sat 12 Mar 2005 8:00 pm
Location: Leighton Buzzard

Postby Lynn White » Sun 11 Feb 2007 12:27 pm

Good news John! Do you have any pics of the vortices?

And 6/18 is not bad at all, so progress indeed!

Lynn

User avatar
Sajeev
Forum Stalwart
Forum Stalwart
Posts: 319
Joined: Thu 18 Mar 2004 10:56 pm
Location: London

Postby Sajeev » Mon 12 Feb 2007 7:37 am

Continued good recovery to you John

What you mentioned about the "OK" lenses seemed interesting, they tried this method to gain more regression and "fix" it, in Germany, and it did not work. However it's good to double check!!

The only thing is, isn't "OK" lenses a contradiction to KC? Its said to have health problems even for "normals" who its designed and used by... load bearing on a cone can not be a good thing with this extreme way to flatten the cornea for a day or two, repeatedly.

A couple of millimeters of cornea sticking out thats all we are talking about sometimes!!


Return to “General Discussion Forum”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 37 guests