Quicktopic posts: Jun 2003
Moderators: Anne Klepacz, John Smith, Sweet
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Jane.w
Paul Bines - interested to hear you have seen Mr Kasaby at Southend Hospital. I am due to see him on 2nd July to see how my hydrops is going. I can only describe it as if someone has smeared an oil slick over my lens. Mr Kasaby was reluctant to discuss the mechanics of a corneal graft last month and am hoping he can give me more information next week. Still nervous but will let you all know how it goes.
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Francesca
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John Smith
Hello Francesca,
I've had a graft in my right eye, and I'm now wearing a scleral lens in the left. Admittedly, the vision with the scleral is not quite as good as with the excellent graft, but with KC, you can never tell exactly what the outcome is...
I'd rather a replaced contact lens should that go wrong than a replaced cornea!
That said, sclerals are very common post-graft too.
Take a look at the pictures on http://www.sclerals.com.
All the best,
John
I've had a graft in my right eye, and I'm now wearing a scleral lens in the left. Admittedly, the vision with the scleral is not quite as good as with the excellent graft, but with KC, you can never tell exactly what the outcome is...
I'd rather a replaced contact lens should that go wrong than a replaced cornea!
That said, sclerals are very common post-graft too.
Take a look at the pictures on http://www.sclerals.com.
All the best,
John
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umbilica@umbilical.demon.
Francesca asks:
Could someone explain about sclerals and when they could be used - are they a way of not having a graft or to help you through
the time when you are waiting - and please explain about the
bubbles! Thanks in advance
Hallo Francesca,
Scleral lenses are a different type of contact lens - they are
made out of the same material (RGP = rigid gas permeable
plastic) as the corneal lenses, but are bigger. Instead of just covering the iris (the coloured ring) as a corneal lens does,
the scleral lens fits right underneath the eyelids and over the
white part of the eye. Mine are 24mm in diameter (the size of a UK 2p piece). Some are smaller than this - and some people get
on better with the smaller ones - but for some reason I find the larger ones more comfortable.
Most people have 20 fits when they first see a scleral lens:
"I'm never going to be able to fit *THAT* in my eye!!!!" But
once you get the hang of it, they're OK.
Because the scleral lenses fit right under the eyelid and across the white ("sclerotic") parts of the eyeball, they can be made
to be clear off the front of the eye, so there is less pressure, less abrasion, etc, and for some of us they are more comfortable. Also, they don't blow out if you go out in the wind, they don't
wash out if you go swimming in them, don't flick out if an
overhanging branch swishes across your face, etc etc. I swim,
ride (on a horse), and have cycled and trampolined in mine.
About the bubbles: because the lenses are so large, if you get
an air bubble under the lens (ie. between the lens and your eye) when you put the lens in, it tends to stay there, which is not
good news, first because your cornea will "breathe" all the
oxygen in the air and then run out, but most obviously because
if you have to be looking through an air bubble as well as a
contact lens, the vision tends to get rather blurred. So
there's a question of learning to put the lenses in without
getting air bubbles underneath them.
Hope this helps.
Rosemary
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Rosemary F. Johnson
Could someone explain about sclerals and when they could be used - are they a way of not having a graft or to help you through
the time when you are waiting - and please explain about the
bubbles! Thanks in advance
Hallo Francesca,
Scleral lenses are a different type of contact lens - they are
made out of the same material (RGP = rigid gas permeable
plastic) as the corneal lenses, but are bigger. Instead of just covering the iris (the coloured ring) as a corneal lens does,
the scleral lens fits right underneath the eyelids and over the
white part of the eye. Mine are 24mm in diameter (the size of a UK 2p piece). Some are smaller than this - and some people get
on better with the smaller ones - but for some reason I find the larger ones more comfortable.
Most people have 20 fits when they first see a scleral lens:
"I'm never going to be able to fit *THAT* in my eye!!!!" But
once you get the hang of it, they're OK.
Because the scleral lenses fit right under the eyelid and across the white ("sclerotic") parts of the eyeball, they can be made
to be clear off the front of the eye, so there is less pressure, less abrasion, etc, and for some of us they are more comfortable. Also, they don't blow out if you go out in the wind, they don't
wash out if you go swimming in them, don't flick out if an
overhanging branch swishes across your face, etc etc. I swim,
ride (on a horse), and have cycled and trampolined in mine.
About the bubbles: because the lenses are so large, if you get
an air bubble under the lens (ie. between the lens and your eye) when you put the lens in, it tends to stay there, which is not
good news, first because your cornea will "breathe" all the
oxygen in the air and then run out, but most obviously because
if you have to be looking through an air bubble as well as a
contact lens, the vision tends to get rather blurred. So
there's a question of learning to put the lenses in without
getting air bubbles underneath them.
Hope this helps.
Rosemary
--
Rosemary F. Johnson
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Sue B - Hertfordshire
Hi everyone. I read this page on a regular basis but don't often contribute, probably because I am one of the lucky ones who usually manages quite well with corneal lenses. However, having said that, I had some unusual vision problems yesterday and wonder if anyone else has experienced this and whether it is related to KC.
I seemed to have a small circle of vision that was missing if that makes any sense. I was working on some paperwork and the computer at the time and had to keep moving my eyes and head to read everything as a small part of my vision seemed to be blocked, almost as though I was trying to look through a solid, non transparent area. It continued for a few hours but went as mysteriously as it came. Does anyone have any ideas?
On another matter, I have an appointment at Moorfields next Thursday afternoon. Will anyone else be there?
I seemed to have a small circle of vision that was missing if that makes any sense. I was working on some paperwork and the computer at the time and had to keep moving my eyes and head to read everything as a small part of my vision seemed to be blocked, almost as though I was trying to look through a solid, non transparent area. It continued for a few hours but went as mysteriously as it came. Does anyone have any ideas?
On another matter, I have an appointment at Moorfields next Thursday afternoon. Will anyone else be there?
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Dinkie
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Janet Manning
Hi John (Smith)
You never told us the outcome of your 'scare' the day after the conference. Has the grated eye recovered? What did the hospital think was the cause?
Hi Laura
About driving - lots of us have problems, especially at night. As with everything with KC, I think problems are very individual. Seeing 4 headlights where there should be two seems fairly common though!!! For this reason I restrict my driving to daylight only, along with quite a few others.
After transplants, I went through periods of driving and not driving depending how many contact lenses I could wear and in which eye. My GP tpld me that it was up to me not to drive if I could not see adequately. If I drove without sufficient vision my insurance would be invalidated!!! I decided I could not risk this or running someone over, so took a DVLA test. How I passed it I don't know. I even went on the bus, because I expected to fail and would then not be able to drive home. The result is that I now have a letter from the DVLA giving me permission to drive, but putting the responsibility firmly with me to check regularly that my vision is still O.K. Given the regular hospital visits this is not difficult to do.
I voluntarily stick to daytime driving to avoid a potential disaster. As my GP pointed out, an accident could lead to damages that could result in the loss of one's home, if not covered by insurance because of poor vision. The risk is just not worth it.
I had got round to calculating how many taxis a year I could afford if I was not keeping a car on the road!!! That's what I'll do if/when I have to give up my car.
Janet
You never told us the outcome of your 'scare' the day after the conference. Has the grated eye recovered? What did the hospital think was the cause?
Hi Laura
About driving - lots of us have problems, especially at night. As with everything with KC, I think problems are very individual. Seeing 4 headlights where there should be two seems fairly common though!!! For this reason I restrict my driving to daylight only, along with quite a few others.
After transplants, I went through periods of driving and not driving depending how many contact lenses I could wear and in which eye. My GP tpld me that it was up to me not to drive if I could not see adequately. If I drove without sufficient vision my insurance would be invalidated!!! I decided I could not risk this or running someone over, so took a DVLA test. How I passed it I don't know. I even went on the bus, because I expected to fail and would then not be able to drive home. The result is that I now have a letter from the DVLA giving me permission to drive, but putting the responsibility firmly with me to check regularly that my vision is still O.K. Given the regular hospital visits this is not difficult to do.
I voluntarily stick to daytime driving to avoid a potential disaster. As my GP pointed out, an accident could lead to damages that could result in the loss of one's home, if not covered by insurance because of poor vision. The risk is just not worth it.
I had got round to calculating how many taxis a year I could afford if I was not keeping a car on the road!!! That's what I'll do if/when I have to give up my car.
Janet
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