Bye Bye contacts

[Pascalini]

On Monday i had my second full thickness cornea graft which meant the end of wearing them thick contact lenses that have caused my trouble for 10 years.

my other eye i had done 2 years ago and i can read the 2nd line from the bottom of the chart without any glasses or contact lenses- my surgeon said im in the rare 5% that get that kind of vision. is this true?

I'm now obviously hoping my right eye will go the same. even though the operation was only two years ago im struggling to remember what my vision was like at this stage back then. is it usually the vision starts getting better 2 months after the operation?

i all though i've been lucky so far not to of had any problems with my grafts. sure my eye is dry in the morning etc but a small price to pay for the vision i get. the only problems ive had is stitches braking or coming loose.

Am i expecting too much to hope this next eye goes aswell as the other? should i be worried about rejection in the future on both eyes as i had full grafts?

I hope i end up being an example of someone has come out of the grafts with sucessful vision. fingers crossed

[Andrew MacLean]

Steve

Congratulations on your most recent operation, and best wishes with your recovery.

Actually, the recovery of vision is not the first priority. The first thing that your ophthalmologist will watch for is that your new cornea will heal neatly in place. I think I was 18 months before I had stable vision with good acuity. I now have excellent vision, and I am glad that my surgeon let the healing process take its own time.

All the best

Andrew

[Pascalini]

Thanks Andrew-

Just couldnt remember what the vision was like after the last op, i remember vision started coming back though not long after, maybe each operation is different.

One things for sure my headaches are bad, just got to get to an ok condition so i can get back to work., so i need mayb a touch better vision the pain in the eye to get less and to be able to look at light a bit more easier. guess time will tell its only been 4 days.

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Steve
4 days is VERY early - I'd put your feet up for at least another week or two before rushing back to work! It would be brilliant if you could get the same result from your second eye as you've had from the first. But each operation is different, as you say, so you might start noticing an improvement in vision within a few months or it may take a lot longer. And, as your surgeon said, most people do still need correction with either glasses or contact lenses after a transplant - but maybe you'll be in that lucky 5% with perfect vision again! Most people DON'T get rejections after a transplant. But the hospital will be monitoring your eyes closely for the next months. And the important thing with rejections is to catch them early when the vast majority can be reversed. So the advice after a transplant is always to go straight to casualty if there is a sudden change in the eye (redness, soreness, deterioration in vision). Of course, this early after the op your eye will probably be red and a bit sore anyway and you'll probably be going back for very regular check ups. All the best for a good result.
Anne

[Pascalini]

Thanks again Anne that makes me feel a lot better.i go back to hospital on tuesday so i'l see what he says then. was thinking of maybe a couple of months off work as i sit on a computer all day. i work for the government so they are very good with time off when needed.

[rosemary johnson]

Yes, it's rare to get vision good enough not to need lenses or specs.
I was told 10% do without correction after a graft - but maybe they do not all get to the second-last line on the chart.
15 months post-graft, I can't read any of the chart with the grafted eye unaided.
I'm probably going to end of being counted inthe 10% though, due to antipathy to the thing and not wanting to do anything about it.
The vision was probably at its best about a fortnight after the op - very, unvannily, clear to read with about 4" from the page. Ever since, it's been getting more and more astigmatic - nearly-horizontal lines are in focus still at 4", and the nearly-vertical lines now about 7" though that seems to vary, probably with the pollen count (!!! - inflames my lung passages and gives me asthma, pushes up cortisole level, then the IOP goes up with the cortisole levels and the eye changes again.)
I gather many people's vision does improve with time post graft, though.
The headaches sound very nasty - hope they wear off very quickly.
Rosemary

[Pascalini]

i remember the problems you used to have rosemary. you havnt had a good time, you helped me out in here when i had problems with stitches coming out.

Iv'e woke up this morning with my eye bright red, ive not slept well atall, when i close my eyes i feel the graft more than when its open, hope there is no lose stitch already.

[Pascalini]

looks like i spoke too soon,

i went for the routine checkup after the op and he sent me back into hospital for a few days as the eye was broght red and he found mucus forming round one of the stitches.

ive been on the strongest antibiotic and steroid drops for 3 days, aint slept as they put them in every hour all the way through the night too.

its cleared up now and he has taken the stitch out that was forming the mucus,think it was the threat of infection that made him worry so much.

i now have to go back into hospital on monday to get 3 more stitches replaced while im awake.

he said the eye healed quick and has also left a couple loose, so its all go on my eye front lol

the worst bit is when i sleep it seems like i can feel the whole graft everytime i blink grrrrr

[Andrew MacLean]

Hang in there steve; the healing trajectory is seldom without an occasional blip; two steps forward and a half step back!

So long as you average a positive direction you are heading the right way!

All the best

Andrew

[Pascalini]

thanks Andrew i will, doesnt feel great at the moment but i know in a few month it will feel more normal, vision is getting worse though for some reason, fingers crossed things will get better