Raised Scar

[GrandPaClanger]

Hi All

Finally got my appointment at the hospital (first time back in 20 +years). The topograph was just a mass of red on both eyes. Both are scared the left more than the right . All the pain I am getting is because the scar is raised on the right eye. They are trying to get me an appointment asap to try different lenses as my vision is good with the lenses (scleral here we come ? ). In the meantime does anyone have any suggestions on how to ease the pain (other than removing the lens). Nothing was really suggested other than over the counter eye drops that I am already using

Ian

[GarethB]

Hi Ian

You topo's sound similar to my 20 year old grafts and when I became sensitive to lenses, I felt them more on the region the donor cornea is attached to my own. Prior to changing lenses, the best I could do without leaving the lenses out was to use lubricating eye drops. The best that worked for me were Systane by Alcon, but I was having to remove my lenses every 1 - 2 hours and put the drops in and then my lenses. I could still only wear my lenses comfortable for up to 8 hours but like many I had little choice but to persever for 12 hours just so that I could work.

The long term solution came when I changed to the Kerasoft 3 silicone hydrogel lenses and now on the Kerasoft IC lenses which is an evolution of the kerasoft 3. The vision I get is better than the RGP lenses where I got 6/5, I now get an extra line 6/4 with the soft lenses and wear them all my waking hours with absolutly no discomfort.

These lenses are no supplied by my hospital. When I was having RGP problems, I did ask about Sclerals and their concenr was similar to their concern about soft lenses becuase their previous experience of soft lenses was the lower permeability ones. Scleral lenses are thicker than a normal corneal RGP lens despite being made from the same material and so are les permeable to oxygen, the hospitals concerns were that as I have had grafts they would be more sensitive to oxygen transmission to my eye so were unsure how long I would be able to wear them.

The Kerasoft K3 and Kerasoft IC lenses are a high oxygen permeability silicone hydrogel lens and I think about as perbeable as an RGP lens. My understanding in laymans terms is that the soft lenses chnage the irregular astigmatism that we have to a regular astigmatism which is easy to correct with the lenses. I've had my my soft lenses now for nearly 18 months and my hospital visits are now annual and in that time no eye casualty visits. With RGP lenses I would be at the eye unit for checks ever 1 - 3 months and often 3 eye casualty visits per year. The daily mainenance of the lenses including eye drops I use for dry eye are also 60% cheaper too!

Bottom line is try other lenses out there such as the soft lenses for irregular corneas, Scelral lenses, piggy backing, soft perms and so on.

It can be a drawn out process but ultimatly worth it when you find a lens that works for you.

[GrandPaClanger]

Thanks for the detailed reply Gareth. All I need now is a book Corneal Topography for Dummies to make sense of this http://www.steaney.co.uk/topo.htm (pictures bit rubbish as I took photos with my Iphone). Whilst it is a nice shade of red a hint of green would be nice (the green on the right was flattening caused by the lens just being taken out)