Collagen cross linking questions

[chris_irwin89]

Hello, I am due to have callagen cross linking done in a couple of weeks. But i have not had a chance to talk about the operation since the initial consultation. All i have had are tests such as blood pressure ect. Can someone tell me how soon after this operation I can wear RGP lenses? I have heard various answers, some said 3 months others said 1 month. What is your experience. I am a bit worried about this as it means i won't be able to drive for quite a long time afterwards.

[GarethB]

The optom I have been seeing recently fits lenses to a lot of people post CXL and my understanding is that the factor dictating when you can wear a lens again is how quick you recover and how your vision might be changing afterwards.

Regarding driving, I think youd do better to speak with your consultant and employer as there are many people on the roads who staisfy the driving standards that only have one eye.

[chris_irwin89]

Does anyone have any personal experience on how long it took them? I think i would be legal to drive, but wether or not i would be comfortable to is a different thing. I really just want to know what the average recovery time is to getting a reasonable amount of vision back and wearing rgp lenses. After reading up on the operation now, i am getting more and more worried about it. I have only seen the doctor once which was 8 months ago and now my op is in 2 weeks. I just feel that he persuaded me into the op under the grounds that it was fairly simple, but i have since found out that it can take a long time to heal. In 3 months time, i will be going back to university and i will be using a computer every day (although i normally use one for personal use every day anyway). I am starting to think that this will be a problem.

[Gabriela Neal Gonzalez]

Hi I had collagen cross linking done last year and I didn't wear my RGPS again for 6-8 weeks. After you've had the procedure done it may be worth trying Kerasfot 3/ic lenses.I had an appintment on wednesday to have some fitted and they felt much better on my eye than the RGPS. It's worth looking into. If you have any questions about the procedure itself then dont hesitate to ask
Gabriela.

[chris_irwin89]

Thanks for the reply, i have tried kerasoft lenses before and the vision was pretty rubbish. Im feeling worried about this op now because i have just got a decent prescription with RGP lenses after 2 years of trying, and i don't want to jepordise it.

[GarethB]

I found the vision from Kerasoft and Kerasoft II to be rubish, but the Kerasoft 3 and the Kerasoft IC lenses are comletly different so might still be worth following Gabriels suggestion. The vision I get with my Kerasoft lenses matches the vison with RGP's and rather tahn an uncomfortable 11 hours lens wear 5 days per week, I now wear my lenses all my waking hours seven days per week and have done so since December, on Sunday 21 June it will exactly six months.

Not had CXL but since going to soft lenses the cornea has flattened out which helps with getting good vision.

There is a consultant that uses the Kerasoft IC lens as a bandage lens post op and patients have found that with this lens it helps give useable vision very quickly. I'm aware of quite a large number of people that use the latest Kerasoft lenses post CXL.

I lacked confidence when I had to drive with one eye and as I'd already passed my Institute of Advanced Motorists test they gave me another test to check I was upto their required standard. Others have found booking a lesson with the local driving school has helped them to.

[chris_irwin89]

Thanks, I may try the Kerasoft 3 lenses then. I do however, get very good vision with RGPs and i can wear them all day everyday pretty comfortably. Wind and dust is the only problem.

I only passed my test 18 months ago, so i feel like a pretty safe driver, just not with one eye. I don't think any more lessons would really make much difference.

I think i really need to speak the the consultant, i am just very annoyed that i wasn't able to see him before the operation.

[Gabriela Neal Gonzalez]

Hi, the operation itself is not as bad a you think it's going to be! they will give you a sedative to keep you calm and make you feel relaxed. After this they will give you local anaesthetic eye drops that will numb your eye. The first thing they will do is remove the cells (this is not painful it just has a tingling effect) whilst they are doing this it will go blank but then your normal sight will return straight away (this is just the effect of the cells being removed). You will then be placed under the ultraviolet light and they will place two types of drops in your eye every two to three minutes. Initially I was very worried before I had the procedure done but it's really not that bad, just keep calm and try to stay still ( I kept on moving my head all over the place!), the best of luck hope everything goes well for you. If you have any questions then don't hesitate to ask
Gabriela.

[chris_irwin89]

Thanks, it's not the actual operation that I'm worried about. It's the recovery time. I really want to be able to wear rgps within at least a month after the op. But i don't think this is possible. I have also heard that looking at a computer screen can be very difficult months afterwards, and i do computing at uni so thats not good news. How long did it take you to recover? Thanks for your post

[Lynn White]

Chris..

Recovery time is pretty variable as the cornea swells and contracts post op and Gabriella is right.. it takes around 6-8 weeks for you to get back to somewhere normal.

One problem with RGPs post CXL is that they are going to mould your corneas right back to where they were before while the stiffening process is taking place and really, you want to give your corneas every chance to become more normal. I fit KeraSoft3/KIC 2 weeks post CXL and most people find that this helps to reduce post CXL fluctuation and give very functional vision during this process. In some cases, even simply fitting a disposable soft silicone hydrogel lens helps to maintain vision while the cornea is settling.

I am also not sure whether you are having both eyes done at once or just one? I, myself, counsel people to have one done at a time and only go for the second eye once you have good vision back with the first precisely because no-one can predict how long you will take to settle. No matter how much you want this procedure to be successful, you still have to live and work!

And just as an addendum, soft lenses for KC can give you very good vision indeed...

Lynn