Corneal Transplant Procedure

[Pat A]

I appreciate it's not the same procedure but I had a Local (and no sedative) for my cataract op last year. It was fine - although just a rather weird experience! My surgeon asked if I wanted him to talk me through what he was doing (which I did) and that was reassuring. (Andrew - stop reading here if you are squeamish!)Your head is stableised so you can't move it, your eye is taped open so you can't blink and all you are really aware of is a bright light, and the occasional movement of instruments in front of your eye. The most weird bit for me was when the lens was removed and it suddenly went dark-apart from what seemed like a few red veins (presumably blood vessels?) and then when the new lens was inserted, I could kind of feel it going in and unfolding (although no pain), brightness returned and then suddenly I could see again! That was it - all over! A cup of coffee, slice of toast (wish they had had some cake!) and an hour later I was on my way home. No after effects of any anaethsetic to worry about, and the only reason I reckoned I was tired that afternoon was 'cos I'd had to get up at 5.30 in the morning and hadn't slept very well the night before!

I'd chose a Local for anything given the choice!

Pat

[Louise Pembroke]

It's personal choice isn't it, we all draw the line at different points.
For me, I couldn't handle the jabs around the eye, nor the eye being forced open for a protracted period. Anyone who can handle it has my respect & admiration

[Pat A]

Louise
I didn't have any jabs - just anaethsetic drops - gallons of them! And I suppose because of the anaethesia I wasn't consious of having the eye forced open at all really.
The funnier side of all this was after a week, I could still see a small "curtain" of darkness at the extreme outer edge of my eye. I had been warned that sometimes this happens because the eye can see the edge of the new lens while it settles down but it should become less apparent as the days go by. I started to panic about this in case it was a retinal detachment (something else I was warned about) and went to my optician in a real paddy - he took one look and then calmly pulled off, very gently, the bit of sticky stuff left from taping my eye open during the op which was obscuring my vision! Did i feel relieved and a right prat at the same time!

Pat

[Louise Pembroke]

I think for grafts you do have local anaesthetic jabs [after topical drops] because there is more suturing than for cataracts

[serge111]

i want to wish piper all the best and thanks a lot for all the information...i think i will do c3-r first and see if maybe that will help me... i am also very lucky to only have KC bad in one of my eyes (by bad i mean like 20/800), my other eye is 20/30 uncorrected and i am very lucky i guess (or unlucky to have KC at all) .....spit over my shoulder three times for good luck....