Cross Linking - Just another experience
Posted: Sun 21 Jun 2009 11:40 am
I had my Cross linking procedure last Tuesday and decided to share my experience with people who are considering the intervention, so as to prepare them for what to expect. I am a 24 year old male, with a moderate Keratoconus in my right eye - the one that was treated. I had the procedure in a private clinic in Bulgaria paying 800 leva (around 350 pounds) including several post-op meetings with the doctor and medications. I had the condition discovered last year and the vision in my right eye is significantly deteriorated but corrected only with glasses so far. My left eye is still in good shape and does most of the work.
The procedure itself is not as uncomfortable as I expected. The doctor gave me a sedative before we started so I feel more relaxed in the process. After that I sat on the "dentist chair" and had the anesthetic drops in my right eye and had the eye retractor placed. Next the doctor placed my head under some kind of microscope and removed the epithelium of my cornea. This was the most uncomfortable bit, although it was not painful. After the epithelium was removed, the doctor started putting the riboflavin drops in my eye ever two minutes for half an hour. Every now and then she would put some of the anesthetic drops as well. After the first half-hour, she started the UV light and continued putting riboflavin drops for another half-hour, this time with the lamp on. There was a bizarre feeling of dryness in the eye but nothing too uncomfortable. After one hour in total the whole procedure was done and the doctor placed a protective soft lens on my eye that I had to wear for one week. Probably because of the sedative and the anesthetic drops I was feeling very happy and confident that all the pain is gone. And it really was for a couple of hours.
I went home right after the procedure with a set of three different eye drops that I had to start putting in my eye on the next day. Two hours after the procedure the real pain came. The way I can describe it is as having some of those terrible drops they use to dilate your pupils for an eye exam, except that this time the pain doesn't go away. I took pain killers several times, and didn't get much sleep during the night. On the next day the doctor saw me and said that the cornea is recovering well and there are no complications. Starting that morning, I had to put the three eye-drops that they gave me on every hour. During the day the pain started going away and I was feeling slightly better. I spent several hours outside, wearing sunglasses which was probably a mistake. At nighttime my eye was in pain again, and this time i probably managed to sleep for three hours. On the second day after the procedure I stayed home, had some painkillers and the pain as it was in the previous days was gone. The only feeling I had was the irritation of the eye with the lens, which felt like a foreign object in my eye and was mildly uncomfortable.
The third and fourth day (friday and saturday) were much better for me. I didnt wear sunglasses at home, just outside. Pain was gone and irritation from the lens was less acute. I went outside for a walk again with my right eye slightly light-sensitive even with strong sunglasses, but nothing unbearable. I'm putting the eye-drops only four times per day now and I can say it's healing.
Today is Sunday and I am watching TV at home with the drapes open and no sunglasses and don't have any light sensitivity or pain. I'm waiting for the Grand-Prix to start and cannot believe that Hamilton is such a sucker this year. Huge disappointment.
Concerning my vision, it's very foggy and blurry in my right eye. I have no idea whether this is because of the lens or because the cornea needs longer to heal. Anyways I'm not worried as I still have my left-eye doing the work while the right one is healing. It's probably going to be more uncomfortable when I do my left eye, as the right one is less reliable.
I'm seeing my doctor next Tuesday to have the lens removed. I don't really know what to expect for the recovery but I'm happy because the procedure is out of the way and hopefully the condition wont deteriorate. I will add further comments concerning the recovery of my vision quality and the correction choices I've made. If you have any questions about the procedure or the condition, please do not hesitate to PM me.
The procedure itself is not as uncomfortable as I expected. The doctor gave me a sedative before we started so I feel more relaxed in the process. After that I sat on the "dentist chair" and had the anesthetic drops in my right eye and had the eye retractor placed. Next the doctor placed my head under some kind of microscope and removed the epithelium of my cornea. This was the most uncomfortable bit, although it was not painful. After the epithelium was removed, the doctor started putting the riboflavin drops in my eye ever two minutes for half an hour. Every now and then she would put some of the anesthetic drops as well. After the first half-hour, she started the UV light and continued putting riboflavin drops for another half-hour, this time with the lamp on. There was a bizarre feeling of dryness in the eye but nothing too uncomfortable. After one hour in total the whole procedure was done and the doctor placed a protective soft lens on my eye that I had to wear for one week. Probably because of the sedative and the anesthetic drops I was feeling very happy and confident that all the pain is gone. And it really was for a couple of hours.
I went home right after the procedure with a set of three different eye drops that I had to start putting in my eye on the next day. Two hours after the procedure the real pain came. The way I can describe it is as having some of those terrible drops they use to dilate your pupils for an eye exam, except that this time the pain doesn't go away. I took pain killers several times, and didn't get much sleep during the night. On the next day the doctor saw me and said that the cornea is recovering well and there are no complications. Starting that morning, I had to put the three eye-drops that they gave me on every hour. During the day the pain started going away and I was feeling slightly better. I spent several hours outside, wearing sunglasses which was probably a mistake. At nighttime my eye was in pain again, and this time i probably managed to sleep for three hours. On the second day after the procedure I stayed home, had some painkillers and the pain as it was in the previous days was gone. The only feeling I had was the irritation of the eye with the lens, which felt like a foreign object in my eye and was mildly uncomfortable.
The third and fourth day (friday and saturday) were much better for me. I didnt wear sunglasses at home, just outside. Pain was gone and irritation from the lens was less acute. I went outside for a walk again with my right eye slightly light-sensitive even with strong sunglasses, but nothing unbearable. I'm putting the eye-drops only four times per day now and I can say it's healing.
Today is Sunday and I am watching TV at home with the drapes open and no sunglasses and don't have any light sensitivity or pain. I'm waiting for the Grand-Prix to start and cannot believe that Hamilton is such a sucker this year. Huge disappointment.
Concerning my vision, it's very foggy and blurry in my right eye. I have no idea whether this is because of the lens or because the cornea needs longer to heal. Anyways I'm not worried as I still have my left-eye doing the work while the right one is healing. It's probably going to be more uncomfortable when I do my left eye, as the right one is less reliable.
I'm seeing my doctor next Tuesday to have the lens removed. I don't really know what to expect for the recovery but I'm happy because the procedure is out of the way and hopefully the condition wont deteriorate. I will add further comments concerning the recovery of my vision quality and the correction choices I've made. If you have any questions about the procedure or the condition, please do not hesitate to PM me.
I must say its not exactly the best timing to do this in mid summer!
Every good wish with that! do allow yourself to be guided by the people at the clinic.