Hi, I had my first and only transplant just over a year ago. It will be helpful if I explain my background because everyone's situation is different. I had KC in both eyes for 30+ years but both had been managed with progressive refittings of different contact lenses over the years. The vision in my right eye was always not so good, and was earmarked for a graft at some point. The hospital advice has been consistently "put it off as long as you can". Then I had a hydrops in my left eye (2 years ago), we had to wait for that to settle down. After 8 months the decision was clear it needed to be sorted with a graft despite fitting a new lens (scleral), I was only achieving 6/18 and was partially "foggy". I am now 13 months after graft.
Discuss any concerns with the surgeon and at your pre-op assessment.
Relax, the procedure went well I checked in the hospital at 12 noon and was on the train home (! hour) at 7 pm. Every patient is going to be different and may have pre-existing conditions that could affect the outcome. The surgeon cannot predict how your body is going to react to the "foreign" tissue of the new cornea (but you are given drops for that.) After the operation, take it easy for the first week, get plenty of rest and use the drops you are given exactly as instructed. Keep everything meticulously clean. Don't rush back to work (if necessary get your GP to sign you off). Some people go back after a couple of weeks - but I think that is optimistic. You go back when you are medically ready, and then maybe shorter hours depending on what you do.
My situation is more complicated because I have always been longsighted and needed to wait for things to heal enough for a new scleral lens to be fitted. Some are lucky and don't need lenses or spectacles. I had a new lens at 6 months post-op and now well within the driving standard. 6/18 to 6/6 in 6 months has been a good outcome for me, and my right eye can now wait a while longer.
There is some good reading here if you have not seen it
https://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk/index.php/when-to-go-for-the-transplant/