UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi everyone,
I have recently heard that a clinic in London includes mini ARK as one of its treatment options for Keratoconus.
I was wondering if anyone knew any further information about this... it obviously is of no small interest to me as I have already had mini ARK and have for years been part of the relatively small mini ARK community that has been operated on in Rome.
Publically only a very small number of medical experts have even acknowledged ARK's existence (prefering instead to relegate it to the 'bygone treatment' files).
I always found this very strange as I learnt of more and more that have been helped by this method. To my mind even if a small number has been aided then ARK deserved further attention.
I'm not talking about a full out peer reviewed clinical trail but even passing interest by someone who has the expertise to give an informed account of the treatment... in this way we would have at least had the option of dismissing it as our prefered treatment.
Anyway, it seems that mini ARK has resisted the attempts at having it discredited out of hand... the contact details for the London Clinic are as follows:

'The London Center for Refractive Surgery'
David Jory
MB BS, FRCOphth Consultant
Ophthalmologist

Website: http://www.lcrs.co.uk/

I know very little about Dr. Jory and nothing of exactly what form of mini ARK he uses. I would be grateful for any further detail people may be able to add.

Regards,
Hari Navarro

Yes mate, there was a lot of lies told by some very good liers in that no other Dr would do mini-ark and the negative/brick wall mind set that went with it... well that has never been true, and the few (patients) yet again proved them wrong (they know who they are). Its these people who do this who are the biggest problem in KC and doing an injustice to the KC community. Of course, it was due to support which helped to bring a new treatment option to the masses

Hello Sajeev,
Its not so much lies as it is an inability to grasp the desperation faced by KC sufferers... that's not to say we are all desparate . But it is true we are faced with a disease that affects us in ways that disrupt our normal lives. How can any possibility not be fully researched??
The thing is that we need all the pieces on the table, not just those deemed fit by... whoever.
I just posted another link to a possible laser treatment for KC, an idea that my doctor is completely against, yet he developed and treated me with mini ARK.
I respect him but see no reason why ALL options should not be presented.
I think that we must see past personalities and instead create a firm platform from which to examine all possibilities.
Its not good enough that certain treatments are deemed unfit without proper consultation... although I have had mini ARK with very good result I welcome the day that an informed doctor stands up and debunks it. At least then I will have had an opposing opinion based on actual study.

Hari

Hari,

I have read various testimonials on the Mini Ark procedure and have been in contact with Dr. Lombardi. Am seriously considering the operation? How well have your eyes healed? Glasses, contacts? Painful? Did you have both eyes done? How long has it been since your operation? Was there an extensive follow-up itinerary? I am considering travelling very far so the last question is very important. Noone recognizes the procedure in the States so I don't know what kind of care I would get should I run into a problem/emergency? Thank you for your time. I hope you have had great result from your operation!

Hi dmac831,
Luckily I just caught your message (I'm going to be away for a week so if you have any further questions I wont be able to replie to you untill I get back)...

To answer your question my eyesight has been great since the operation (two years ago now)... before I had ARK I couldnt see a thing... RGP's were a nightmare and glasses did very little to help.

Now I dont wear any form of correction at all... (although I think I should sometimes )... its just that now I can survive perfectly without them. I drive, read, watch television etc and have very little problem at all. My eyesight is not as perfectly sharp as it was before keratoconus but then I never expected mini ARK to be a 'cure'... but it has vastly improved my sight and changed my life as a result.

Yes I did have both eyes done... and as far as 'after-care' in my case I returned to Prof Lombardi two months following my operation. At this point he assessed how much my cornea had healed and decided that further treatment was not needed at that time. Some time later I returned again and this time had a touch up to my right eye... since then I havnt been back. I have been meaning to but I'm very busy at the moment... my point is that I really havnt seen any drastic need to go back as my eyesight has been fine.

I know of patients who have travelled to the lombardi clinic from the states, australia, UK, middle east, greece and germany so each of these has had, I assume, to continue certain parts of their checkups in their home countries. It all depends on the initial outcome of your operation combined with the severity of your condition to start with (each of us is diffrent and as such has a slightly different outcome/ healing process.)

I'm attempting to gather together as much data on mini ARK as I can on:

http://www.keratoconusinternational.com/forum/index.php

Its been a slow process, and its very hard to get people to post their experiences But I'm trying to twist a few arms so that more can see for themselves the data associated with ARK.
I've just set up a section of the other forum exclusively to house ex mini ARK patient data... it empty at the moment but when i get time I'll upload the latest data I have.

Please feel free to ask any further questions, I look forward to hearing more of what you decide,
All the best,
Hari