UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

(....is it me you're looking for?)

Hi folks

My name is Magic and I am an alco- ah wait, wrong forum

I am 25 and I was diagnosed with KC in my left eye when I was 14. I have been living with it with the correction of glasses but now the KC in my left eye is so advanced it cannot be treated by any other way than a graft.

So I am on the waiting list for one at Gartnaval Hospital under Dr Rameash.

I have slight KC in my right eye however I can see pretty clearly and this is what I use to see, with the aid of glasses.

I work, play guitar, watch motorsports (speedway racing) and live a pretty normal life, with the exception that I can't focus to read information with small letters or from a decent distance.

Just thought I would introduce myself to you all.

hello & welcome magic

my name is sarah and i too am a KC suffererer

i am in pretty much same situation as you - was diagnosed a bit younger - never got glasses tho . My bad eye is my right eye and i had a graft in november just passed, and i rely on my right eye for which i have a rgp.

Just thought i'd say hi cause im bored at work!

Sarah

Hi Magic and welcome to the forum. And good luck with your graft - you're in good hands there. We have lots of members who go to Gartnavel. I'm sure some of them will introduce themselves before long. And did you see that there's a Scottish group that meets regularly in Glasgow? Their next meeting is on Saturday 21st April so do go along and meet people if you can.
Anne

Hi Magic,

Welcome to the forum, like another lamb to the slaughter. Actually, it's not that bad here at all.

Do you know what sort of graft you'll be having and when you can expect to have it?

Magic

hello and welcome. Like you, I am a patient of Dr Ramaesh. he has grafted both of my eyes: the first (December 2003) was a PK and the second, )October 2006) was a DALK.

He has also corrected a Cataract in my PK eye. (February 2007).

I reckon you are in safe hands with him!

I look forward to meeting you at a Scottish forum meeting. We meet in the Chaplaincy Centre of the University of Strathclyde (top of John street)

Andrew

Sweet hello and welcome Magic! Hehe nice name!!

Glad to see that you have found us here. I was diagnosed at 14 as well but have never been able to see with glasses. I have had one graft on the eye that i have never been able to see with and am waiting for a lens. In the other eye i have managed pretty well with a RGP lens.

Wishing you all the best, hope you get an appointment for the graft soon!

Thanks for the welcomes.

In answer to someone's post, I have no idea what type of graft I am getting. I don't know the differences between types of graft either.

I have kinda left it all in the hands of the doc and see what he thinks is best.

I've been on the waiting list since December and have recently been put on a "short-term cancellation" list.

The two types of graft are PK and a DALK.

Roughly speaking...

A PK (penetrating) is a full graft where they replace your whole cornea

A DALK, is where a large part of your cornea is replaced.

The graft you have will depend on the condition of your cornea. Mine was too thin for a DALK and thus I recently ended up having a PK. I didn't actually know what graft I was having until after I woke up from the operation. On the morning of my operation it was 50/50 .

As you are unsure what you are having I've just given the very basics*.

All the best, any questions feel free to ask.




* Truth be told I don't know much more than this

Acc to my doctor im technically blind in my left eye (the one thats having the graft) and its very advanced, so I guess my cornea will be very thin then.

Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK) - all three layers of the corena are replaced usually 5 - 8mm disc and this is stitched to your remaing cornea.

Deep Anterior Lamela Keratolplasty (DALPK) - is a partial thickness where only the top two layers of the corne are replaced so you keep your own endothelium cells which is where rejection most commonly occurs. The size of graft is about the same as PK, but allows for grafting much closer to the edge of your cornea with reduced risk of rejection. If your cornea is deeply scarred in the midle layer, they will go for a full PK graft. Practice today is to start with a DALK and make the decision during surgery because it is easier to determine the full extent of scaring.

The aim of any eye surgerys is to provide a surface that is easier for the vision to be corrected so you may still need glasses or contact lenses post op. You will not know this until the eye has stabilised which can be between 6 abd 24 months.