UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

I have been diagnosed with KC. I currently have an appointment in Los Angeles to get C3-R done along with Intacs. I am very nervous about it all and want some advice. Help me with my options. 1- Go to LA and have it done spend almost $10,000.00 on just one eye. 2- Leave for India and have it done and spend around $3,000.00 my concern here is it safe to get done in India? I dont know much about India... 3- Come to the UK or Germany where it has been done much more??? I Dont know what to do !!! Help

Bart

As I understand it they hve very good ophthalmology in India.

But your serious options are not, in the first instance, about where you have surgery. Rathre you have to decide whether to have surgery at this point, or to opt for a less invasive form of management of your condition.

I see that you are planning C3R along with Intacs. You don't say anything about what you have aleady tried. How long have you had Keratoconus? Has the wearing of contact lenses failed?

All the best.

Andrew

I have tried RGP lenses and just cant do it. Glasses and Soft Contacts just dont work. The vision is simply not good enough to wear them. I have noticed that most people have this problem with the left eye. Am I correct? My left eye has been ignored by my brain for years due to this condition. I was going to a Doctor that was not a good communicator and never really told me what I was up against. So I went to the local University ( University of Utah ) and they actually told me what was going on. There refered me to Dr Boxer Wachler in Los Angeles. Are most people happy with Intacs and C3R? Am I doing the right thing?

Hi Bart
I can't do RGP's and glasses do nothing for me either. But.....I've just got back from Hopsital Contact lens clinic today and I am trying piggy backing (soft lens under an RGP). Will be putting a full post on the forum shortly but have had piggy- back in now for 5 hours today - and not only can I see pretty well, but it's not hurting either!

I know it's early days but should be worth a try!

Another contact lens option would be Scleral lenses.

As to C3R and Intacs; whether they are a good idea would depend on what you hoped they would accomplish. Some people move from C3R to graft, some with Intacs still seem to need contact lenses.

I'd certainly be asking the ophthalmologist to give me an idea of his or her track record with these new management techniques.

Andrew

If i were you I would get your treatment done locally if possible. If you have the Intacs treatment and it goes wrong (which it did for me) it's going to cost you a lot more than $10000 in flights, hotel bills etc for checkups retreatment etc in another country.

Please note I was very unlucky with my Intacs precedure and I am now getting retreated at a very good clinic, courtesy of the clinic that i initially received treatment from.

If you was having just C3R, then India will be your cheapest option....however, if its Intacs and C3R then Id be inclined to stay locally...in case stuff goes wrong...

it is also worth noting that boxer wachler does not do the c3r in the same way as most surgeons in the uk. he leaves the epithelium in place and results when doing this are apparently not as positive as when it is removed.