UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

for anyone who is interested this is what Bari Rubin from Dr. Wachler's office sent me when I asked her about the CT procedure (seems like its not a day in the park:, and the fees are a lot)

You would have to have two preop exams, one with Dr. Boxer Wachler and one with your regular doctor including blood work labs and a history and physical.
******************************
The surgery is done in the hospital, not a doctor’s office. There is usually IV sedation, and a retro bulbar block (your eye is numbed with injections), and then the procedure is performed. You are in the hospital most of the day. The eye is patched anywhere from several days to several weeks. You will have to use drops for the rest of your life anywhere from 1-4 times per day. It takes 1-2 years to heal, and some times the cornea is rejected by the eye. You cannot wear contact lenses for a minimum of six months, some people are never able to wear contact lenses at all after a transplant. There is usually a wait to get a cornea transplant, we have to find suitable donor tissue and it can be challenging to get time at the hospital. It can range anywhere from 3--6 months. If you’re considering the transplant, you should let us know as as soon as possible. These are the costs from last year, this year they might be different: Cornea Tissue is $4500, Surgeon fee $12000, anesthesia $7000 Facility Fee $19,500, plus labs, medications and $100 pre op fee for the eye portion of the preop (we don’t know what your doctor would charge you for a physical).
******************************

Just thought Id add that this cost if rather high and if you look around in the States youll see other well respected Opthamologists performing it for upto 40% less.

Im surprised that thats what you recieved to be honest...as that response kinda made the whole procedure discouraging rather than encouraging lol

Im also surprised that it said youd have to use drops for the rest of your life....thast the first time ive heard anyone say that....at least coming from a professional in the field...

hi jay, i didnt say that, it was the doctors people that said that i am just copying their email...so i mean do you have to use drops for the rest of your life? cuz i dont really know

i know doesnt all that make the whole procedure sound bad?? i agree...so i dunno is it really that bad or its not...lots of people on here say its the best thing they've done...

do you know what should the cost be?

Serge

YEs, thats what I meant, that I was surprised that they said that to you....

Ive never heard that you have to use drops for the rest of your life.....its a possibility if you keep having repeat rejections....but its not the norm

The whole procedure is not, in my opinion, that bad....you just feel a little sore in the eye after you wake up and this can last anything from 1-10 days depending on your recovery abilities.

Whether its a good thing or bad; really does depend on the outcome.....if you ask someone who has had repeat rejections and mulitple grafts...theyd say maybe its not a good thing, if you speak to someone who has experienced vision again..then its a good thing........

The cost in the US as far as I know ranges from $11,000 to $15,000 normally.....but with the people you have contacted there is a little marketing and reputation thats been well done...that you are paying for.....

Its similar to say in London, going to Harley Street to having a medical procedure which would cost say £10,000 and then having it in say Manchester where its £5,000.......if that makes sense.....at the end of the day..in the USA people are very lucky as there are a large number of well known and respected Opthamologists.....

In the UK also, Corneal Transplant involves a hospital admission. In Glasgow this means turning up very early in the morning, having had no food since the night before.

Once the admission procedure is over you can expect to be visited by the Consultant Anesthetist and the Consultant Ophthalmologist. Both will go over their part of the procedure. Transplant surgery is normally performed under general anesthetic.

I have apnoea, and there is a slight danger during recovery. For this reason, I take my air pressure machine into hospital with me, and I make sure that it accompanies me to the operating theatre so that it is there for my recovery.

Once unconscious the patient is taken into the theatre where the old and disased cornea is removed using a special cutter called a Trepaine. the new tissue is then cut to size, and if a DALK is being done, the endothelial cells are removed.

The new tissue is then placed and sewn into the host eye.

In my case the time away from the ward, including recovery time, was about an hour and a half each time.

I was kept in hospital until the next day. I live several miles (two train journeys) from the hospital, and by keeping me in they made sure that I was not inconvenienced by the need to attend a clinic the next morning.

The first four weeks I used cortico steroids and antobiotic eye drops four times daily. for the next six weeks I used cortico steroids only, three times a day.

The whole procedure, including pre and post op clinics and the hospital stay and the theatre time is paid for by the National Health Service.

Andrew

u guys are so lucky in england...i am still researching but looks like id have to flip the bill for that procedure myself...insurance here doesnt cover neither my contact lenses, nor intacs and not c3-r and not the transplant...

Serge

Who are you with?....I was under the impression CT were covered unless taken out personnaly and pre-existing condition.....

right now i have blue cross PPO...and i havent really researched the financial aspect of the CT yet so I am not sure...but the lenses and the c3-r i am sure i have to pay out of my own pocket which is sad...and everything around LA is really pricy...i paid $600 to one lens dr who couldnt fit me with lenses at all (well he tried but they hurt and i couldnt wear them) then i went to another dr who charged me $1100 !!! for lens fitting and was able to fit me with a thick soft lens which does help and i am very glad i have it. and oh yea each replacement lens is $200

Serge

This is one problem with the system there..each PMI covers specific things.....and it can be frsutrating after you have got the cover and it doesnt cover certain things.....

i c...if anyone can suggest a great insurance with EYE vision coverage, would be nice...maybe i will make a new topic out of it i dont think we have discussed insurance on here....