Intacs & Eye Rubbing

[Ehsan]

Hello there everybody ;

I am just posting this on behalf of my husband. He had his intac surgery this Wednesday. Reading other threads I'm not sure every surgeon uses the same procedure or same recovery procedure. He was advised recovery within a week but I think the Doc is talking about eye recovery as oppose to vision.


I have some questions before I go onto talk about his surgery please:

What is the average recovery period for sight?
Will he ever be able to rub his eyes?
Anybody experience any different disadvantages such as dry eyes, had to give up contact sport (he loves football)
When would you advise to have the second eye done, surgeon said do it as soon as .. bearing in mind he has to go to work, and his left eye is his better eye and the right eye with the intact does not yet have any visual improvement.


Ehsan, my husband is living in Egypt as an expat and decided to get the intac put in by a Magrabe eye hospital specialist. He has KC in both eyes but it is worse in his right eye and therefore he decided have this one operated on first. This is a quick diary entry:

Wed - surgery at 11am under general anesthaetic, released at 3pm, he spoke of a pumping sensation like pain in his eye which would fluctuate during the day. Took off eye patch at 9pm. eye really hurts but after inserting drops and having some pain killers was much better and able to sleep. Blurry vision. Eye drops to be taken six times a day.

Thurs - similar pumping sensation, sensitive to light, still using drops, went back to hospital to check intacs and everything ok. advised stay away from water and not to touch the eye and to avoid lying on the side of the surgery (right side for Ehsan) Blurry vision but can make out objects.

Fri - similar pumping sensation however pain is less and more bearable. Was able to cook himself some food rather than order a take away. light was off but the passage light was on. Fluctuation in sight, sometimes can see clearly (but not as he could before the intacs surgery) and sometimes its goes back to being blurry.

Sat - feeling great. cannot feel any pumping sensation, still fluctuation in sight and blurry vision, and still sensitive to light. blinds shut and do not want to watch telly or sit on laptop.

He has another eye appointment on monday i will keep you posted.

Ahfia XxX

[Andrew MacLean]

Ahfia

Thank you for this very full post. I have not had Intacs, and indeed, it is now too late for me to contemplate this procedure, but I know for many your sharing your husgand's experience willb e a great benefit as they wrestle with decisions about this or other procedures.

Yours aye

Andrew

[Sweet]

Hello there and welcome to the site!

Thank you for your detailed post. It has received many views but sadly not as many replies because i think t is hard for most here to say anything as no-one has posted saying that they have had this procedure done.

I really hope that your husband gets on better with his intacs and the hospital get it sorted for him.

Please do come back and let us know how he gets on!

Love Sweet X x X

[GarethB]

Welcome to the forum.

The surgeon is most definitly talking about corneal recovery and not vision.

Here is a link to Intacs Presentation Notes I made at the Birmingham support group last year which will probably help with most of your questions;

Intacs Suregry

It can also be found in the Frequently asked questions with answers section

[Kirsten]

Hi Ahfia.

I hope your husband is doing well.

I've had intacs put in one eye (November last year).

Unfortunately there's been no improvement in my vision (it feels exactly as it did before the surgery) so there's now discussion of either adding another segment (since only one, instead of 2 was used).. or removing the intacs all together and perhaps trialling the synergeyes lens. I go back to see the surgeon on Thursday so will know more then.

My experience does however seem really different to that of your husband. I had no pain or light sensitivity at all and my eye felt great straight after the operation.

As far as eye rubbing goes. I guess it's never a good idea to do it.. but let's face it - who can resist? lol. I made sure the 1st couple of weeks that my hands went nowhere near that eye. Now I sometimes rub it but usually just the corner of my eye. I try not to touch where the intac is.

As frustrating as it is (speaking from experience!!!), I think it's best to wait for a result from the first eye before contemplating the 2nd. If there's no improvement then it's silly to have both done, plus there's the wasted expense as well...

If you or your husband have any other questions feel free to ask.

Kirsten

[Ehsan]

Dear All;

Thank you all for your responses. When we first learned of the condition and the remedies available I must say I relied solely on this website.

Thank you for your info Kirsten I know he will be pleased that he is not the only one having difficulty seeing from the "intac eye". I know it is a little soon the Birmingham Meeting says to allow six to twelve months. I think it is probably best just to wait. But to think he was recommended to go for the corneal graft but himself opted against and for the intac instead.
I will definitely keep you posted after his check up tomorrow.

Thank you once again. ahfia

[Kirsten]

You're very welcome.

It's definitely frustrating. For ages I kept looking for an improvement each day. Now i've just accepted the fact it's not going to happen.

I can't wait till my appointment on Thursday to see what's going to happen next. To be able to see again after so many months of no contacts (or soft ones) will be bliss!

Definitely keep us posted - that would be great.

Kirsten

[Sweet]

I am glad to read from someone who has had intacts preformed as i didn't know of anyone until now!

Wishing you all the best, love Sweet X x X

[ashley wilson]

had intac fitted on thurs evening in left eye. procedure was done under local anaesthetic and was not very pleasant to have done. however there was little or no pain afterwards other than a small amount of light sensitivity from time to time. was told pre-op that there would be little improvement immediately afterwards, but gradual improvement would occur and the biggest difference would be noticed after the stitches are removed at 3 months post op (supposedly due to the stitches being tighter, this is the preference of the surgeon who said that if the stitches are looser then a bigger improvement can be noticed immediately). however i was pleasantly surprised to notice an improvement when tested the following morning. having not been able to read any of the chart the day before, i could read 4 lines anaided. also the shape of my cornea was much better. the specialist said the readings he did were roughly twice as good as the day before. with regards playing sport, he said i can play rugby and even start back boxing in a couple of weeks. as i'm writing this i can read the text on the computer with my left eye only for the first time in ages, even if it is a little blurred (although i am lucky that vision in right eye has always been very good). all in all, although intacs are expensive, i think they are definitely worth a try even if they offer only a slight improvement. will keep you all posted on any progress.

[Sweet]

Hey there!!

Great news on your intacts!! That is brilliant!! Where in Wales did you have it done?

Take care, Sweet X x X