UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi guys . I am due to have all my stitches removed on the 7th of October . I has my graft done last June and thankfully have not had one minutes trouble . I just wonder what your experiences having been with having your own stitches out , pain ?, vision expectation? , time off work etc ?

cheers guys

hiya.
when i had my stitches out this was my experience:
i booked an hour session at my opthalm.
i took my mother with so that i had someone to drive me home.
my doctor put anesthetic drops in my eye, and then i sat in the normal examination chair and he held my eye open. all i had to do was keep my eye as still as possible by focusing on something, while he used a magnifying lens to focus on the stitches.
it wasn't actually painful at all- NOTHING like going to the dentist... no injections.
it is a bit awkward and frustrating, but i asked for a lot of breaks to get myself together and breathe.... if you are prone to anxiety perhaps a 'rescue tablet' or two will help calm the nerves.
afterwards it was a bit sore- still not as bad as the graft itself.... he loaded it with drops and bandaged it up (only for the first few hours)- and mostly because it was such a bright sunny day... i took the afternoon off work, but was back the next day. i don't recall taking anything strong for the pain.
my vision was the same afterwards... no dramatic change.
2 weeks later i was fitted for glasses and it has been fairly plain-sailing since.
Good luck

Hi Optom,
Surgeons vary on how they like to do this. In my case, I was lying on the operating table each time. Didn't feel a thing during the procedure itself under local anaesthetic (just heard the occasional ping as a stitch came out). It was quite painful afterwards for a few hours, and I did need painkillers. But I was back at work next day each time. The vision takes a week or two to settle down. And then you'll know whether you'll need additional correction with contact lens or glasses. Good luck!
Anne

Hi
I had mine out in 2 stages. when the first lot were done, i was in theatre, it was uncomfortable but not painful as i had anaesthetic drops put in, i had a clamp put in to hold my eye open, and a shield (cloth with sticky back plastic) stuck to my eyelids with a slit cut in it, an injection of some kind of steroid in the eyeball at the end which did sting a bit.
I was in theatre just in case something happened during removal and he needed to put stitches back in. The whole ordeal had me very tired and disorientated for a couple of hours and i had my girlfriend to take me home afterwards. It wasn't a particularly pleasant experience.
The final stitches came out 8 months later sat behind a slit lamp. quite painless, but i still needed my girlfriend to take me home.

In both cases i had 2-3 weeks off work, not because of any pain, but because i needed 2 weeks for my eye to settle down and stabilise before i could be re-prescribed with glasses.
My vision changed immediately as the stitches were out and fluctuated for a while. (I have very little vision in my other eye)

All the best getting yours out.

Thanks very much guys, sounds like plan sailing. Actually trying to stop myself getting excited because I will actually be heart broken if it dont go well sight wise. I am obviously not expecting miracles but good i would love to be able to wear a pair of glasses, some relief from contact lenses.

Hope all goes well for you

Hiya

When I got my stitches out, the thought of it was worse than the procedure.

Its not painful just a bit "strange". I must admit I broke out into a cold sweat, but after some more drops & a few minutes yoga style deep breathing to compose myself I was fine.

Honestly, its really not that bad

Good luck & all the best

Claire

Thanks for all the encouragement guys . Fingers crossed for top vision.

Just don't be too disappointed if you don't immediately have 6/6

Every good wish

Andrew