DALK next time

[Andrew MacLean]

I saw my ophthalmologist today.

IOP is normal.

I have to reduce predinsolone down to one drop every other day.

The refraction showed my sight at 6/6 (minus two letters) with my current correction. New glasses would restore the missing two letters, but the difference is so marginal that I think I'll wait.

We discussed the remaining suture in my right eye. He thinks it is best left alone and undisturbed. I am happy to take his advice.

We discussed the graft in my left eye (no date yet). He is going to attempt a DALK graft, although he did explain that if during surgery this looked unrealistic he would go ahead and do a full PK. I think this is the sort of thing that has been said to others.

He will remove my cornea down to the endothelium, sew in place the stroma from a donated cornea and then let my own epithelial cells heal over the graft.

I have a routine appointment to see him in August about my right eye, but hope that I may see him before that for the graft into my left.

Andrew

[Sweet]

Andrew,

Great news!! Am really glad that your vision is so good!! Hoping that you do indeed have a DALK, let us know how things go! Have you got a date yet? Take care, Sweet X x X

[John Smith]

That's excellent news Andrew.

And thank you. I've now finally twigged what "6/6 -2" means!

Interesting to note that more and more of us appear to be heading down the DALK route, yet a couple of years ago it was almost unheard of.

[Andrew MacLean]

No, Claire, no date yet.

I hate this bit. I mean the waiting. Deep within myself I hope that the person living with her or his own cornea will continue to live for many years to come. I also know that when another family's sadness leads to my having sight back in my left eye I shall be more grateful than I could really ever express.

So like everybody else I just try to get on from day to day, and to puse away to the deep recesses any thoughts about the graft.

Thanks for your good wishes.

Andrew

John

Yes, DALK is becoming very fashonable nowadays. Who started the trend?

[Alison Fisher]

For the same reasons as you Andrew the waiting was the hardest part for me. It's a very strange and surreal place to be in isn't it?

Glad to hear everything else is going well.

Take care, Alison

[jayuk]

Andrew

The "it may convert to a graft" is said due to the very nature of the procedure...it is extremely delicate and up until mid last year..many potential DALKS had to be comverted to PK as the consultants didnt have the tools and also skills to perform this.

Things have progressed since this short time, and the new bits of kit used to actually strip and set the mid-top layers are now better and more reliable.....

Do you have a rough idea of when it will occur?

J

[Paul Osborne]

Andrew,

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

The waiting is the worst bit indeed. I hated that part but mostly I hated absolutely loathed going round knowing that anyone I see or meet could be donating the cornea to me or to anyone else for that matter.

Take care

Paul

[Andrew MacLean]

Jay

I was originally told that it would be late spring, but this has now slipped. Summer/Autumn would be my guess.

Alison

"Srange and surreal" just about covers it! Weird! I try not to think about it too much. That is not to say that I shall be anything less than overwhelmingly grateful for the gift of a new cornea when the time comes.

Paul

Thanks for your prayers, and to everybody, thanks for your good wishes. Going through the wait last time was way worse than the operation.

Andrew

[Per]

Very good news, Andrew. Surprised you are still on predincilone. Have you had a rejection episode ? I use Spersadex.

6/6 with glasses is very good. Much better than my oldest graft pre lasik !

[Andrew MacLean]

Per

I'm not sure that it really counts as a "rejection episode", but I did have a bit of a wobbly experience. I think it could maybe be described as a "threatened rejection".

But now I'm down to Prednisolone every other day, I reckon that I am on the way to being allowed to discontinue it altogether.

Andrew