Use of eye shield post graft

[jessiex21]

Following Graft surgery how long should you continue to wear the eye shield at night

The instructions I come out of hospital with suggested 2 weeks but I am sure I have read that it should be longer than this - what has anyone been told or done themselves.

Now nearly 5 weeks post graft and I still wear the shield each night. Everything has gone really well and healing nicely but I am still worried about knocking the eye or rubbing it whilst asleep.

I am very interested to hear what anyone else has done themselves or been advised to do. Am I just too paranoid !!

Thank you

Al

[sboo84]

Hi Al,

I think I had my graft just after you (I'm 3 1/2 weeks post graft), so I hope everything is going ok for you! I wore my shield for a week after the operation. I found that I didn't really need it because I tend to sleep on my left side (I had the graft on my right eye), and I think I've developed an almost instinctive habit of not rubbing or touching my eyes at all, so I wasn't really worried about accidentally rubbing them during the night. I was told by my consultant to just wear it until i felt comfortable enough not to and since I stopped wearing it I haven't had any problems.

Did you have a DALK or PK? I had a DALk and at my 2 week post assesment my consultant told me that the eye was structurally strong enough to withstand a little knock or bump, although to obviously avoid if possible, so I would say at five weeks you'd probably be ok without it? Like I say though, it's completely up to you and what you feel comfortable doing!

Steve

[longhoc]

Dear Al

Yes, good luck with your post-op recovery. Hoping that all will continue to go well for you. Great that you've got to more than a month with everything on track, that's a really good sign.

With regards to the eye shield, I couldn't wait to ditch the flippin' thing. I served my two week sentence wearing it as instructed then gave myself parole. All it did was to disturb my sleep pattern. After a couple of weeks being secured with the micropore tape, it was getting pretty manky too. I tried to clean it with everything short of putting it in the dishwasher, but the glue just piled up on it. As I'd weaned myself off eye rubbing for at least 5 years previously, it wasn't needed for that purpose and I wasn't convinved I was any more liable to poke myself in the eye at night than I would be by day. That all said, if you sometimes out of habit rub your eyes first thing in the morning it wouldn't hurt to keep it on -- but if not then after 5 weeks I don't think it's going to be needed.

Even after about two months, I'm still probably overly cautious about anything coming near the eye so I know how you feel -- you don't want to take any chances. But it's almost inevitable something you'd rather not happen will end up happening, that's just life. Like the time I was putting a fork into a baking potato as you're supposed to before baking it, I dug the fork in good and hard, out (and up) squirted a nice wodge of potato "juice" (is that the right word ?) straight into the grafted eye. I quickly rinsed it through with saline and kept my fingers crossed that no harm done. There wasn't so I needed have worried. Somtimes these things can't be prevented and as time goes on you learn to not be quite so fretful. You're outside the immediate "critical" time so the worst is over in terms of when you're most at risk. Just keep taking the normal sensible precautions and you'll be fine. Eventually you have to try and get back to something approaching normality... but it does seem a bit strange at times doesn't it.

Cheers

Chris

[stevematic]

I'm almost three weeks post-graft and I'm still wearing mine. The other night it came off while sleeping so I was a little worried, but there were no problems.

I think I'll be wearing it even after I've been told it's not required!

[jessiex21]

Many thanks for all your comments.

It is certainly interesting how we all cope differently. I will now give consideration to not wearing the shield although I have never found it uncomfortable and so this is perhaps partly why i havent rushed to get rid of it.

I have found it quite confusing at times what you can and cant do post graft. For example I play trumpet in a brass band and while i expected to not be able to play immediately after the op, i did think by 1 month i would be able to start again but much my dismay have been told it is still too soon. ( Next appoint in 8 weeks) so looks like being at least a 3 month break - keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end

[Damien W]

Long time since I last posted on this forum I know but thought I'd give me experience on the eye shield.

For my first graft (right eye, PK) about 12 months ago I was told to keep the shield on at night for 2 weeks. I went out to 3 and felt comfortable enough to not wear it after that. I kept it tho as at first I was unsure if I was doing the right thing.

Following my 2nd graft (left eye, PK) 5 weeks ago on Thursday I ws told after a week I could forgo wearing the shield. I wore it for a 2nd week as I wasn't comfortable not wearing it at night in bed. 1/2 way thru the 3rd week I thought, I'll see how I feel without it and haven't fitted in since.

I think it is mandatory to wear it for the first week or 2 (or what ever your surgeon recommends) but after getting the all clear it is up to you and how you feel about it.

Re the cleaning of the shield and the build up of glue from the tape, I found normal liquid hand soap from a pump thingo and warm water to work best to keep the shield clean

[Andrew MacLean]

I wore mine for months! I think I only stopped when I was confident that I wasn't going to wake up and find myself rubbing my eye.

[fatar760]

I've been wearing my eye shield for nearly 3 weeks now and agree it's a pain to clean.

A bigger concern than that though is that I appear to have started removing the shield in my sleep. I woke up at 5am this morning with the shield hanging off my face, the tape no-where to be seen, and a yellow mark on my finger tip - which i can only assume is the eye ointment I'd applied before bed. I also woke up in much discomfort with an eye lash on the white part of my eye.

Short of wearing boxing gloves or putting gaffer tape around my head does any one have any suggestions how I can stop myself trying to take it off in my sleep...?

[Loopy-Lou]

I'd use this rule of thumb - wear it for as long as you need to until you feel confident not to