UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hello everyone! Well I had my conreal transplant in my right eye last Friday, and so far all has been well. It was a very interesting experience - both for the corneal transplant and also because I had never stayed in hospital or recieved general anaesthetic before! The general anaesthetic was surprisingly pleasant, but anyway, I'll speak a bit about the graft.

I left the ward at around 8.30, with the graft material in a big blue and white box reading "HUMAN TISSUE" (as far as I could see anyway) next to me on my bed, being wheeled along to the theatre. I went in at around 9am and was out at 11.30. When I started coming round, I was amazed that I could already see a difference in my vision through the clear eye shield I had on (albeit a very samll difference). I was supposed to be getting a DALK partial thickness graft, but I was told my Descemet's membrane of the cornea was very thin, so had to do a full thickness graft instead, which all went well.

I left the hospital on Saturday morning, and went back for an post-op appointment yesterday morning. The healing process is coming along nicely. Vision wise, I could just about make out the first couple of lines of the chart (about 6/36) - something I haven't been able to do in a very long time. So far then, at this early stage, everything seems to be going well.

I have attached a couple of pictures, although it is difficult to make out the stitches because my iris is so dark. My brother, being a keen photographer has been keeping a photo diary of the graft.

DAY 1 - It was really hard to keep my open very much, so nothing much to see here:




DAY 5 - This was taken today (sorry it's quite a scary looking shot ):

Glad to hear the op went well and the eye is recovering and vision improving already.
Hlpe all continues to go well - do keep us posted.
Rosemary

I love that box; gives you a sense of 'ownership' of the new tissue.

The upside of the PK is that you will probably recover good sight more quickly than with a DALK. Another triumph for the team at Gartnavel!

Well done, and thanks for the pictures. Your eye looks really healthy.

And, they arranged to do your graft at the beginning of the long University vacation! Well done the NHS!

Andrew

I once was sitting in the reception area at the eye hospital I go to, and a courier came in and delivered a box labelled in big red friendly letters "HUMAN TISSUE FOR TRANSPLANTATION". It sat on the reception desk for the rest of the time I was there.
Never saw any sign of any such a box - or anything that might have been had a piece of transplantable tissue in it, on the day of my op.
Strange the way you've both been accompanied by yours.
Rosemary

I think it's just what they do in Glasgow. Transplant patients carry the box all the way into the anesthetic room

Andrew

Well done Amarpal. it is looking very good. Glad it was not too stressful for you. How is the pain?

Thanks everyone. I have been lucky enough to have hasd very little pain in my grafted eye. It was a little painful for the first couple of days, but since then I have had no problems at all. I have definitely seen furher improvement already. I was so happy to be able to read my clock when I woke up this morning! It is reminding me of when I first got lenses fitted - seeing the world in a new way!
There are simply no words that can demonstrate how grateful I am to those who leave behind their organs and tissues to help people like us.

agree wholeheartedly- and since my graft I have signed up to the NHS online donor programme

[url]http://www.uktransplant.org.uk/ukt/how_to_become_a_donor/how_to_become_a_donor.jsp[/url]

so they can have whatever they like for donating or research after I have gone.

Desperate need for more donors

There is a desperate need for more donors. Last year more than 400 people died while waiting for a transplant. One in ten people waiting for a heart transplant will die and many others will lose their lives before they even get on to the waiting list.

The more people who pledge to donate their organs after their death, the more people stand to benefit. By choosing to join the NHS Organ Donor Register you could help make sure life goes on.
Organ Donor Line

If you've not signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, you can do so on this website or by calling the NHS Organ Donor Line: 0845 60 60 400
Lines open: 24 hours, 365 days a year

I've been on the organ donor register for years - ironically, I first found out about it from picking up a form in the eye hospital.
Now I've had an incoming transplant myself, I'm not allowed to be a donor any more.
Or even a blood donor.
ANyone remember the first Kidney DOnor cards? - they arrived with one's new driving licence. And a little info sheet talking about kidneys being normally taen from people who'd died suddenly in road accidents.
Nothing like having the DVLC (as it then was) trying to join forces with one's parents trying to persuade one that one didn't really want driving lessons just yet!
Rosemary

I also am on the donor list, and having received donated tissue I am now not eligible to give organs for transplant into live patients. I left myself on the list, however, so that they could, if they wanted, take any organs for research purposes.

Andrew