UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi:
Could someone please advise if they have had this procedure and what one should keep in mind before going in for it...
thanks
Manish

Manish

Welcome to the forum. I am afraid I am not able to answer your particular question, but I do know that other users have either looked at, or in some cases have had C3R treatment. I am sure they will answer: I just wanted to say "welcome".

Andrew

Hi Manish and welcome.

I have not had C3r treatment and as Andrew says there are a number of members here who will no doubt be responding.

I think it may be helpful if you tell us a bit about yourself and your history with KC.

From what I can make out, this treatment is not proven on a long term basis and my consultant was not convinced and recommended caution with regard to my own situation.

I have mild/moderate KC but because I am in my mid 50's (ok, perhaps heading towards late 50's) my KC is unlikely to progress so it would be, in my opinion an unnecessary risk t for me to take. Whilst results appear to be good over 5 years, nobody knows what the outcome will be over say 10 years or more.

No doubt you will hear from others who have done more research or indeed had the procedure carried out.

I must confess that I had little more than a casual interest in C3R as I never thought this would be on my personal horizon, still very interesting though.
Now I am in a situation where my career options are severely limited by KC and indeed I have now lost a job opportunity to boot. My KC is mild and in the right eye is barely clinical. My left eye however is not so great and need to get 6/60 uncorrected to meet my professional va. I cannot achieve this. The other problem which lead to me being turned down for a job is the stability of the condition. C3R might (just might) tip me back into the uncorrected sight requirement for my left eye and provide greater assurance of stability. I am also 36, so the condition could progress although I am a late comer to KC so statistics would tend to support the view that it ought to stabilise soon. As with all KC issues however, it has been progressing over the last 12 months so there are no guarantees. I am now going to ask about C3R, just purely from a career point of view.
As for the actual experience, I cannot help there. There are some C3R experiences catalogued in this forum (way back I suspect). Hopefully, a veteran of the procedure will step forward....

Hi and thanks for writing back:

I live in Mumbai & was diagnosed with KC in 2001 (age 28 then). My doctor tells me that my eyes are doing very well with the rigid lenses and that the KC has not progressed since then i.e. The cornea is holding fine. He suggests C3R as in his opinion this will strengthen and hence delay any deterioration in the condition of the Cornea...that will help extend the period i can use rigid lenses and not go in for a transplant.

He told me that he has been doing the procedure for over 3 years now and that the results have been good on the patients who have done in for it

thanks for writing in

Cheers

Manish

hi manish

im visiting india in the summer and wanted to look at KC treatment options there including c3r. i would be grateful if you could give me more details of KC treatments and maybe pm me some contact details

many thanks

Hello Manish,

Not sure if you have all the info you require to consider C3R.
I had C3r in one eye in Novemeber and then in the other eye 1 month ago. I was diagnosed in November with rapid progressing KC so had the C3R ASAP. Up till now it has ceased progression and therefore I would highly recommend it. Although the procedure takes an hour, it is very simple. There was a fair amount of stinging for about 4 or 5 hours after the surgery, while the top layer of the cornea heals over. Do you think you will have it done?

Louise

Louise your so lucky too have been "caught" in time to have c3r and intacts, seriously when my KC was advancing fast i was just left an then when the cornea was too thin i was put on the waiting list for a penetrating transplant . Your doing exactly what i was asking/begging for when i was loosing my eye sight, Ive got it back now but it was 1 hell of a journey. Really hope your progression has stopped for good, and you get the vision you deserve.
tom

Louise:

thanks for writing. i am a bit confused to be honest. i have been wearing hard lenses for 5 years now and am doing very well with them.

The cone has not progressed so i have to weigh the options of going in for C3R to prevent the cornea from deteriorating (which it has not in the last few years) against a procedure which is still not very proven.

I think i will probably wait for a year to gather more data points

Regards

Manish

Hi there,

Yeah, I do feel lucky to have caught it at this stage Tommy, although if the Optician had spotted earlier than my 5th visit, I may have avoided INTACS.
How have you managed to get your vision sorted?

Manish- Although the really long term effects of C3R are unknown, the specialists reckon as long as you have a minimum of 400 microns of cornea, no damaging UV will reach the retina.
Other than that, there are very few risks and totally worthwhile, in my opinion. It gives me piece of mind in that it shouldn't start progressing and catch me unawares.

Cheers
Louise