Surgery or not ?

[gnrpatience]

Hello Everybody,

I been diagnosticated with KC on the left eye, im 27 years old and live in Mexico City.

I went to my first visit and Dr told me i have KC, i did the topgraphy and he said i MUST do Intacts surgery and that this surgery might stop KC and will correct my vision but after i might need to use contact lenses.

I asked for a second opinion and went with another Dr, she told me that NOTHING can stop KC and that i should avoid surgery and first try hybrid lenses and then if i dont like then go with surgery.

So my question is if surgery really can help to delay KC i will go for surgery if not then i want to try hybird lenses and then if really needed surgery.


Many Thanks

[Anne Klepacz]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
Intacs don't stop the progression of KC - what they do is to flatten the cone and make it easier to fit a contact lens (although some people do get enough improvement in vision to be able to manage with glasses). There is a treatment which seems to stop the progression - collagen crosslinking. You'll find lots of references to that on this forum, though I don't know if it's available in Mexico. But most people with KC get good vision with contact lenses, so if you haven't tried any lenses yet, it's certainly worth a go before opting for any surgery. And there a lot of different contact lenses available these days. As well as the hybrid lenses that you've been told about, there are rigid gas permeable corneal lenses, special soft lenses for KC, and scleral lenses. So you should be able to find a lens that will suit you. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Anne

[Andrew MacLean]

Hello and welcome.

It sounds a bit likeyou feel you are being 'bounced' into a surgical procedure. Anne is right to say that INTACS surgery will not slow or prevent the development of your KC. In the UK we Re automatically entitled to a second clinical opinion; Im not sure about your jurisdiction.

In your place I think my own instinct would be the same as your own; see another ophthalmologist, listen to the second opinion and make your decision on the basis of what is said.

Stay in touch: all the best.

Andrew.

[gnrpatience]

Hi Thanks for the replies,

Yes I asked for a second opinion already and the second opion was to try first hybrid glasses and if i dont like them or something i may go with surgery then, this second opinion was honest and i can ask any question not like the first Dr who was to busy to give answers to my questions it was just like go with intects and you are done.

Now if Intacts wont slow KC then i will goo with hybrid with the second opinion and see how it goes. The good thing at least is that i have it only on my left eye so now my right eye is doing all the work, hopefully i dont have it or develop KC in the right eye, crossed fingers.


From crosslinking the first doctor never mentioned it and in the second one i asked about it and she told me that is new and that there are a lot of discussions about it so she said, go with hybrid lenses and you will be fine.


Thanks for your answers now im confident with hybrid glasses maybe in the future i will go with Intacts or maybe Crosslinking will be more tested and released =),


Many Thanks!

[rosemary johnson]

Hallo gnrpatience, and welcome to the forums from me too.
One little thing I'd add to what the ohters have said, is that in plcases where both are available, the medi Intacs and CXL (crosslinking) can be done together.
This means that the cornea is "stretched" into a flatter shape by the intacs so it is easieer to fit lenses/glasses, and then crosslinked to "fix" that new shape.
The idea is to stop the KC progressing, and leave the eye in an easier shape to correct the vision, all in one.
I don't know, know if that is what your first doctor was thinking about, or if that is possible in Mexico.
Good luck with trying the hybrid lenses.
Rosemary

[Andrew MacLean]

I found this page and thought the articles might be of interest.

http://www.helpkeratoconus.com/info/cat ... -treatment

andrew

[Loopy-Lou]

Definately try lenses before any surgical procedure

[gnrpatience]

Hello Rosemary,

The first Dr was too busy to answer all my questions in fact almost all that i know before i went with him was all research i did in the internet and he just told me to do Intacts and then asked me if anybody on my family had it so he can do the surgery to them too!! Which i didnt like, one of my family have KC, so I dont think he was planning CXL.


I asked to my second opinion about the CXL and she said that is in trials and she wouldnt recommend it yet and she recommended the same as Loopy-Lou to try lenses before any surgery.

So what i was looking was something that can stop it but my conclusion for now will be that nothing stop KC yet although I think that in short time CXL will be the fix for KC.

Thanks!