UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

hi ther was wondering if you guys could answer a few queries for me as the leaflet i have been given by consultant is pretty basic
1.how long prior to graft do you have to take antibiotics?
2.what type of medication do you take after graft?
3.is it correct that you will no longer be considered to be an organ donor after graft? can you still give blood?
4.can any of these medications pre and after have any affect on a pregnancy?
5.is there any way of finding out the waiting time for your graft or do you simply wait for a letter?

sorry to bombard but i definatley get qucik and straight forward answers from the real people!!!

Charlene

1.how long prior to graft do you have to take antibiotics?

b]Both my grafts, I didnt take any. They gave me dilating on the day, but that was it as far as I can recall[/b[

2.what type of medication do you take after graft?

A corticosteroid and an anti inflamatory - drops generally

3.is it correct that you will no longer be considered to be an organ donor after graft? can you still give blood?

as far as I recall, no you cannot


4.can any of these medications pre and after have any affect on a pregnancy?

you would have to check, but it may be the case

5.is there any way of finding out the waiting time for your graft or do you simply wait for a letter?

You can ask them what the waiting list is, and Im pretty sure that they are good at ensuring it does get done on or around that date, unles someone cancels and you are next on the list

HTH

J

Hi,

i did have antibiotics before surgery. I took antibiotic drops four times a day for two weeks before hand. I was also given oral antibiotics a few hours before surgery. i think this was due to the fact that i have very sore and raw eyes and they took swabs at my pre op appointment that showed some kind of infection.
Apart from that every thing else is the same as Jayuk.

anne

Like Jay I was not using antibiotics before surgery.

After my grafts I was using a topic sterioid (dexamethasone) for a longish time and topic antibiotics (chloramphenicol) for a short time.

After you have had transplant surgery of any kind you can neither be considered as an organ donor or as a blood donor.

As the medication is topic (ie applied directly to the affected area: in this case by eye drops) it is possible that they would not affect a pregnancy, but you ought to check with your consultant.

You normally have to wait for a letter.

All the best with your transplant.

Andrew

Andrew,

It was pointed out at the AGM that topical eye drops are anything but.

The excess fluid tends to drain away through the tear duct to the nose, and from there to the throat, by which time it's well and truly "in the system". It's possible to lessen this effect though by pressing firmly just under the eye in the nasal corner.

That does of course explain all my chest problems which were caused by long-term Timolol drops.

Point taken, but topic medication is less likely to impact on a system than the same medication that is administered systemically.

I do think it is wise always to raise questions with the consultant.

Andrew

thanks to all once again for responses cleared up alot of my queries so will now happily wait for the postman and yes of course i will check with the consultant next time i see him whenever that mught be !!! ha ha