Twisting the KC way!

[Sajeev]

Andrew, What heat is there? its just a web forum?

(Behave please GB moderator )

Anyway, I remember it was done up north somewhere in England (it was months ago I read about it, the method was not named as being such and such...).

Also what i wanted to mention is that because less steroids is needed, that this method was better due to the complications steriods can bring.

There are high risk of getting glaucoma patients if they use steroids, which could be helped, if they have the "right type" of profile in cornea, as deemed by the Drs doing this method.

As with all surgical methods there are pros and cons, they need to be weighed up to expolite any advantages for a given situation i think.

BTW I heard the people are friendly and its beutiful over there. Where do you recommend to go to sight see?

[Andrew MacLean]

Yes, I think that from my window I probably have the best urban outlook in the world. |And, yes; the people are friendly.

Apart from the view I enjoy every day, I particularly like the view as you drive from Tarbet to Arrachar. The first sight of the Cobbler (Ben Arthur) is breathtaking. Beyond that the seven sisters of Kintail are a sight to behold, along with just about any other outlook from various vantage points around the country.

Andrew

[Matthew_]

I cannot agree enough with Andrew, living nearby! There is something very special about looking over man-made houses, streets etc to lochs and mountains in the background; its like half the set is missing! I love it, you cannot go wrong if you visit.
On the question of corneal thickness, this does not relate specifically to rotation but any surgery: Accepting that scar tissue is thicker perhaps than the original substrate, does this mean stronger? To put it more plainly, if you have a graft or other intervention, the sutures or the periphery of the new tissue will presumably heal by chucking plenty of collagen at the problem but this is thicker and less flexible. I am asking the stupid question but this must still be a weakness? Isn't the cornea meant to be quite flexible (perhaps ours are a bit too flexible?).Surely this is the case for grafts, rotations, twisty thingmejigs, whatever?
Oh and while I am on stupid questions, how come the graft becomes susceptible to KC, since it is new tissue, I would expect it to be KC free? Obviously, this is not the case so what am I missing?

[GarethB]

All corneal donour material is tested for the presence of KC. This does not mean it is free froma pre-disposition to KC and modern tests are far better so the cases where this may happen are extremely rare indeed.

What is more likely to happen and still extremely rare is that the cornea the graft is attached to develops KC again and pulls the graft out of shape as is the case with me.

My specialist has been working closly with KC for 25 years or so and he can still count on one hand the number of cases he has seen like mine and he has done loads of transpalnts. The specialist who did my graft had ten years experience, (30 years now) and I am the first case in his career that has had KC to return.

This sort of thing is arer than tissue rejection in KC grafts.

[Sajeev]

Andrew thanks for the suggestions... i'll take a look at them on-line to find out more about the places. There is something about the highlands... a spirit!

Matthew, good question and observations... there is a whole new topic there with what you ask. I'll add to the discussion what the experts say on this when i can.

Cheers

[rosemary johnson]

Matthew, what you're missing is that we've been talking about a method of grafting your own cornea back onto you, but in a different position. It's still your cornea, and so if it had KC before, it still will have.
A truly transplanted cornea from a donor shouldn't have KC, at least when it is transplanted.
Am tempted tot hink that the area where the incision/join/stitches were in a graft is going to be a weak jon for a long time as it takes a long time to heal completely. Then it will depend on the way it has healed. Typically there may scar tissue that is harder and tougher than the surrounding tissue. And... well, you know how if you have a box of something that keeps splitting, or a pair of jean that have split? - so you stick your box up with loadsa duct tape, or you get a spare piece of blue denim from where you turned your last pair of jeans into shorts, and you sew on a patch? (or get your mum to....) And what happens? the box breaks open along the edge of the duct tape and the jeans rip along the edge of the patch.
I think the normal name for this is "Sod's Law" but there probably is a more technical way to describe the forces at work.
ROsemary

[Matthew_]

Rosemary,
Thanks. My jeans are covered in patches because I love them so much, I cannot part with them.
My question about the KC returning was aimed generally not at the 'own cornea' angle but I did not put that very clearly, sorry!

[Michael P]

I went to Moorfields for a check up today.

I raised the question of twisting/rotating the cornea to the optom but she had never heard of this.

A consultant would presumablly know something about this but I haven't seen one in the 30 or so years I have been going to Moorfields.

It seems that scarring is my main problem and this is fairly central so I guess this technique wouldn't help anyway.

My right eye which is the inferior one has unfortunately changed shape since my last visit 6 months ago but surprisingly the eye test has resulted in a new prescription which should enable me to continue driving. All previous attempts over the past few years have met with failure .

That's good new because the optom rated me as borderline for driving. I just hope the new lens works