When I must get the cornea transplant

[Roberto Veas]

Hello all, I am Roberto, From Chile, and my main preocupation of KC is basically how do I know it is the time for get the operation ( the transplant ). Actually, I am wearing contact lens, since 3 years ago, but at the last month i can't wear it all of the time, because my eyes become very red.

Best Regards.

[Lynn White]

Hi Roberto

There is no perfect time for the transplant... but what I can say is that you only go for the transplant when all your other options don't work.

The operation is not reversible and there is always the chance of rejection so you need to be sure that there is no other option before you take that final step.

There is a lot of new technology and new procedures being tried out now - especially in Europe. Cross linking, intacs, mini-ark etc.... These may well reduce the need to rush into a transplant.

I suugest you keep your options open and look around at alternatives before you decide on that operation!

Lynn

[jayuk]

Hi Roberto

As Lynn said, there is no right time for a transplant...but in many of the cases in the past many could have been avoided with some dilligence...however we generally trust the word of our consultants..who not always have our best interests!

There are now soo many options for KC treatment as Lynn pointed out within Europe and UK....and a psuedo cure has now been touted as X Linking which, although embryonic, is looking very promising. Whilst I personally dont beleive it a cure, it has shown to halt and regress Keratonconus in all the test cases (some 200 patients).....to me thats phenominial!.....

It also depends on the stage on KC you are at...and the lens types you use........but do bear in mind it is very rare for a KC sufferer to have a Transplant within 5 years of diagnosis....however there are a few cases even on this board.....but in general its a long acting eye condition and completely unpredicatable

[GarethB]

Following on from what Jay an Lynn have written. KC can stabalise and not get any worse and these cases manage very well with one of the many types of contact lenses on the market.

From the statistics many consultants in Europe report, something like 10 - 20% of people with KC will ever need a graft in one eye and fewer requiering two grafts.

Gareth