UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Ok so i have some questions for all the people who have had a graft.

Did you feel any of the surgery? (local or general)

What was it like when you woken up?

How long was it before you could open your eye and see something?

Hi

Grafts in '92 and '96. General for both. Lots of pain afterwards but I don't think that's typical. Waking up was no different to any other general anaesthetic I've had - I felt grotty. The eye was patched until the day following the op. Amazing sight as soon as the patch was removed - which as my sight had been so bad for so long was a bit of a shock.

Hope that helps.

Alison

Grafts 89 and 90, not too much pain and before I left the recovery room I had to show I could still open my eyes.

For me it was instant improvement both times, had the full gratft which at 7.5mm diamater I think are on the large side.

Did feel hungover first day.

You will get widely differnt outcomes, from Knights fast recovery and mine was quite quick to those such as Sweet who is plugging away at trying to get god vision.

We are all differnent and I know you will not base you expectations on the responses you get to this. Just get an idea of what may happen.

Hehe Gareth there is always the story about the hare and the tortoise you know!! Mine might just be slowly crawling into better focus as we speak! LMAO!

Had a graft 7 months ago (DALK). Woke up with a patch on which was removed the morning after. I don't get very good vision at present but i know that this takes time hehe. Painwise it was fine. Painfree until the next morning when i needed some painkillers but then spent a few days on paracetamol and that was it! No worries! Before you leave theatre though you normally get a suppository painkiller to help so you should be ok when you wake up!

I woke up and jumped out of bed to shower when i got back to my room so everything was fine! Hehe i was VERY excited about having my own room and walk in shower! LOL Little things!!!

Hope you can get enough info here to make your decision!

Sweet X x X

Im not having a graft myself as far as i know. I just wanted to know what it was like, and i thought no better people to ask than them who have had it done.

I had mine December 2003. Lived with pain for years before the graft. They put to to sleep and woke me up. Eye was a bit raw on awaking, but really no pain then or since.

Still got pain in my non graft eye.

Andrew

First one was 95, second in 96. I can give you the dates if you like. I was suprised at the pain the first time around, I really expected it would not hurt and did not sleep at all withpanadiene on board. The patch came of the next day but my pressure was a little high and i had to contiue on diamox tablets for a week. They were the worst part. They made me sleep 20 hours a day, they gave me tingles in my hands and feet up to my hips and shoulders, and I had no appetite. Once I got off them life was a lot better. My vision was not great, but after a month or 6 weeks a stitch came out and I was seeing 6/6. Seriously it was amazing.
Second time around my surgeon prescribed pethedine as a precaution post surgery, and when i asked for it the nurse said i did not need it as grafts were not painful. I asked how may he had had and got the expected answer and told him I had had one and it extremely painful and was not prepared to spend a sleepless night in pain when it could be prevented. I think he thought i was a junkie. Had a shot went to the ward had a much better night and less pain, my theory was I did not let it build uo this time. Next day my pressure was fine no need for diamox. I them decided after the glare issues I was best covering that eye in the sun I also found that helped. It was a much easier recovery because I could see and I was not feeling like I had been run over by a truck. Vision was never as good though.

I had a graft in January 2003. It was my first and only operation, I had it under general anaesthetic.

I went in about 8 in the morning and was home for tea. Would have been home earlier but I fell back asleep!

Woke up mid afternoon and remember my throat felt really dry and sore, but apart from a bit of discomfort my eye felt fine. They made sure I had had something to eat and drink before my family were allowed to take me home. I didn't realise how groggy I was until I tried to stand up. Spent that evening in and out of sleep on the sofa.

Went back the hospital the following afternoon, was still really groggy. Found it best to keep both eyes closed as much as possible, as looking around with my other eye made both move which was uncomfortable. A nurse removed my bandages and asked me to open my eye, which I couldn't - my eyelids were welded shut with dried blood from the operation. She (rather firmly) used a cotton bud to remove enough of it so that I could open my eye - apparently the cornea was white and the sclera was red.

I was taken to the corridor outside for an eye test, but all I could see through the graft was a thick orange mist. Despite this I was quite photophobic.

I had a checkup from the surgeon and was given my drops, eye shield etc and told to come back a week later, then 2 weeks after that, and so on.

Things got better as the days and weeks passed - the redness in my eye faded, my cornea cleared from the centre outwards and my vision improved.

Vision has been very variable since, but steadily improving on the whole. Just gone 3 years and apart from ongoing problems with my stitches I am very pleased with my graft.

Not in a hurry to get the other one done though

Rob.