UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

I'm nervously awaiting a few appointments this week. Three weeks after my operation and I have an appointment wth my hospital, optician and surgeon all in the space of a few days.

The glare seems to have gone back to being bad again - at the moment it is the same as my non intacs eye. I have noticed that my vision with the old glasses is okay out of the intacs eye when my pupils are small (ie in the sunlight) but pretty bad any other time. I guess my eye is still probably settling, but it's fustrating being in limbo.

If my persription can be improved this week, do you think it's worth me getting a months worth of soft lenses? Can't really afford a new pair of glasses if perscription is going to keep changing, so wondered if this might be a bettter option?

Alice

Hi Alice,

Sorry to hear you're having a bad time of it. Have a big bear hug on me

I may be wrong (I often am) but I've read somewhere during my own Intacs research that sensitivity to light can be all over the place in the first few months after the op but does settle down as the eye heals. I guess the trick is to make sure your environment suits you and make sure YOU are comfortable. *** everyone else, you've just had an op remember!

As for the contact lenses I'm not sure - I would go on the advice of the professionals who can see your eye and give the best recommendation. Karl and the others who've already been through the intacs procedure may be able to help better on this.

Hope the appointments go well this week and good luck

Ed

Ok....I've just returned from appointment number one and here's the update.

The hospital did a topography of my eyes and the right eye (intacs eye) has improved since the surgery. Although still fairly steep there is now just one peak as opposed to my eye looking like a D of E expedition across the Malverns! As a result I have been told that my astigmatism has reduced from -6.00 to about -2.00 (thus more suitable to glasses/lenses). My eyesight, however, through this eye is still not so good and I could only read three lines down the chart, but she seemed to think that this was my cornea still settling post op.

She also told me about some Silicon hydrogel lenses which should be available soon to people with higher astigmatisms. Has anyone heard of them?

p.s. Thanks Eddie for cheering me up!

Hi Alice
Yes, silicon hydrogel lenses were mentioned in the contact lens talk at our conference in June, as a new development in contact lenses. At that point they weren't yet being made for KC, but I'm pretty sure that someone who has had Intacs fitted reported on this forum that they were now wearing them.
And three weeks is very early after the op. I'm sure things will carry on settling down. Good luck!
Anne

Hi Alice,

I've just had a big search around the site looking for a name!

Stephen 'B', a member of the group has had intacs fitted and spoke at this years conference - I know for a fact, as I asked him lots of questions that he is now wearing silcon hydrogels after the op and finding them very comfy.

Follow this link for his posts as a lot are to do with Intacs.

http://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1201

Hope this helps.

Ed

Do you think that silicon hydrogel lenses will be made to suit people with KC? I am curious as to whether they would be able to provide adequate vision.

My optometrist seemed to think they would be as good as glasses. For me personally, my scleral lenses were always better than glasses as they helped flatten my cornea. She seemed to think this wouldn't happen as they were soft.

Hi TimTim,

As I understand it silicon hydrogels are only of use to KC'ers who have had some kind of fix, such as Intacs or a graft. I may be wrong (I often am) but thats how I understand it.

Ed

I just got back from appointment number 2 of the week (opticians) and my astigmatism has gone back to -7.00. Apparantly a change of -5.00 in two days!! My optician is so understanding, but the dialogue is pretty much the same each time.

Optician: "is it beter with lens 1.....or 2....1.....or 2?"
Me: "Neither"

Optician: "Ok try this time...lens 1......or 2....1....or 2?"
Me: "Cant really tell, as I can't see with either."

Optician:"Now look at the dots. One which are they clearer.....this or.....this......1.....or 2?"
Me; "I can't really tell. They both look bad but in a different way!"

We must be an absolute nightmare. I mean, how they come to any perscription at all is a complete mystery!!