Post-graft options (oh, and 'hi!')

[DiscoPants]

Hi folks

First post having only recently discovered the forum, great resource you've got here.

Bit of background... Diagnosed with KC in my mid teens, have since had grafts in both eyes (1993 and 2000). The first (left) one's not great - pupil's permanently dilated after the surgery and the level of correction achieved using high-ish index glasses lens still isn't good enough to read a book or computer screen from anything other than a couple of inches. The right one on the other hand I've been incredibly fortunate with. A low prescription lens gets me 20/20 vision.

I'm wondering whether to give contact lenses another blast in the hope of improving vision in my left eye to some degree, and hopefully also the night vision in my right. I never tried contact lenses before the grafts, and really don't suffer them very well - I did have a couple of fittings with the optometrist at the hospital (RVI, Newcastle) several years back but just couldn't get to grips with the hard lens. That's probably as much my lack of willpower and discipline as much as anything else, but always having had one 'really good eye' probably made taking the easy option of glasses too attractive.

So, first question, has contact lens technology moved on much in the last 4-5 years?

I never managed to build up much time with the lenses in - I've got fairly dry eyes, hayfever in summer, mild eczema in winter, excuses coming out of my ears really! I much preferred the *idea* of soft lenses but I think the consensus was that the level of astigmatism in the left eye was too great to correct via anything other than RGP. I can see there are some hybrid lenses now, are these likely to be any more comfortable to wear? Are they widely available in the UK?

Possibly a daft final question - but things do change - is laser correction ever an option after a corneal graft?

Cheers

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi and welcome to the forum!
Yes, contact lens technology has moved on a great deal in the last few years. So it's definitely worth giving lenses another try. There are now special soft lenses for KC such as Kerasoft3 or Kerasoft IC and the new hybrids are better than the first hybrid lenses that came out too. If you e-mail anne@keratoconus-group.org.uk I can send you a copy of our latest newsletter, which included an article about the variety of lenses now available.
And the answer to your other question is also yes - some surgeons do occasionally use laser to improve the shape of a graft. So it's worth discussing all the options with the hospital next time you go.
Good luck
Anne

[Andrew MacLean]

discopants

Welcome to the forum.

There was a time when I couldn't wear contact lenses, but advances in technology and in particular lens materials have given me a whole new lease on life.

Andrew