UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Me again, asking a question for my sister. I'm seeing her this weekend so I'll get her logging on to say hello

In the mean time she has asked me to ask roughly how long she can expect acute hydrops to actually last. I'm guessing this is one of those "how long is a piece of string" but I guess we're just looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

She says it felt like she'd be punched in the eye (her words) and quite painful for a week and then she saw the doctor (that was 30th May) who sent her to the opthmologist at the William Harvey (Ashford) and now we're 12th June. It then got worse and she thinks it may now be showing a small improvement.

Is she over the worst as such - obviously you can't say for certain, but any signs to look out for? Any similar stories, is recovery the 6-8 weeks that we've read?

Any opinions woud be appreciated
Thanks

It is hard to know whether your sister is over the worst, the ophthalmologist would be best placed to answer that question; one thing we can say is don't be in too much of a hurry. Any hydrops will take time to heal, maybe even more than 6 - 8 weeks.

I really look forward to hearing from your sister. Tell her that we are all in the same boat as she and that one of us, at least, is not really sure how the computer turns on, let alone how the forum works!

Andrew

Thanks Andrew. She's reading these posts

I'll get her on here on this w/e, she's registered (twice apparently) but has forgotten her password and I think changed her email which doesn't really help! Still, I'll sort it out Friday evening and get her to say Hi. She will be able to tell you more about her eye, medication, opthomologist visits etc.

Thanks

Helensy,

Get your sis to email the webmaster with her log in name and he should be able to reset her password. His e-mail is on the contacts page I beleive.

I have heard a number of acute hydrops that have resulted in improved vision. In these cases, the resulting scaring is thicker than the thinned corneal tissue round it so helps strengthen the cornea and flattening it so unaided vision is improved and the making the abnormalities on the corneal surface easier to correct.

Healing will take time, but it might be worth it if it results in improved vision.

Hmmmm

without sounding stupid, could someone please explain to me the exact nature of hydrops and what it feels like. As a lot of you know already i am on the waiting list for a graft but have been warned that hydrops is quite likely or even worse a rupture of the cornea itself.

In fact has anybody had a rupture on here and could they explain the nature etc of that as well.

Should i experience any of these it is likely that i would be grafted almost immediately.

Reading Helenseys post has suddenly made me nervous

mike

Mike,

Hydrops can actually occur at any time for anyone!

The cornea is essentially three layers, KC affects the collogen in the middle of the two layers which is why you will here of C3R (collegen cross linking) being done with the cornea scraped basically removing the top layer so the rhiboflavin drops get direct to the collegen containing layer.

Hydrops is where the inner layer which is about 1 cell layer thick rupturing and the fluid in the eye between the iris and cornea flowing past this and into the collgen containing layer.

Pain varies with severety and then some notice it more than others. My corneas were so thing that I could not be fitted with lenses when I had my grafts. Could not play rugby, but still did what I could in training sessions which meant I got tackled a few times and fell hard as I could not see the person coming. Despite heavy knocks to the head never had hydrops.

Grafts post hydrops are only put forward if the scarring left behind is sever. The scaring can also be a good thinga s in many in the group the healed hydrops has left a stronger area of cornea that has helped flatten the cone and left the patient with improved vision.

In fact because the medics had noticed this, i think in the '50's they deliberatly induced hydrops to try and improve the vision!