Got my PRK and crosslinking date at last.

[J Hoffa]

I´ve been waiting for a date to do PRK and crosslinking since February. Yesterday I finally recieved a letter with a date, August the 20th. I´ll do my right eye first (my worst) and 6 months later it is time for my left eye. I´ll post my latest cornea scans at a later time. This is a big step for me that I wanted to share with you all and I will keep you updated.

[J Hoffa]

Here is my latest scan. The reason for me doing PRK and crosslinking is that I´ve had so many problems wearing contacts, plus that hopefully it will stop KC to progress any further.

I´m far from being an expert on KC nor reading these scans. However, I do know that my right eye is worst off and I believe that this scan says that my thinnest corneal thickness is 407 um. Is that right?

My "goal" or "wish" is that I get along ok with soft contacts or glasses post surgery. I know that KC is very individual, but I´d very much like to hear what you think about my chanses or hear what you know/experiences about combining PRK and crosslinking.

[J Hoffa]

...and the left eye.

[longhoc]

Hi J

Yes, you're spot on, thinnest local is 407 microns. That's not too bad, but as you say, not great either. Take it as a good guide figure though rather than a pin-point definitive result. Different topograhic scanners might give different results (maybe 5% or so) and you might also vary from day to day by a smidge. Incidentally, you've got a classic "nipple cone" type of keratoconic artefact, like the bulls-eye in a dart board. I wish I could remember now whether that is one of the easier types to get a lens fit on or not (its either one or the other but I can't remember if it's especially good or bad sorry ) I think it's a "tricky" as any lens will tend to sit on top of the cone if it is too "flat" which you don't want or, if it vaults over the highest point on the cone but is too "steep", the edges press down on the periphery. You don't want that either ! Just my half-remembered take on it, wish I'd paid more attention when the optometrist at one of our conferences was explaining it all... and that's a generalisation for rigid lenses, I don't know what the implications are for soft lenses of that type of cone. Anyhow, fingers crossed that either the resultant shape of your cornea post crosslinking is better and/or you're more tolerant to lenses. Glasses would be a really big win !

Will be very (very !) interesting to do a compare-and-contrast after your crosslinking, if you do go through with that, on the corneal topology. Please do share it with us if you're able. One of the reasons I say that is, we get told a lot of good, encouraging stuff about crosslinking. But when we probe a little deeper, there's not, apparently, that much of it being done (at least, not that we get to hear about). Which may be why when people post here asking about crosslinking, you don't get a stampede of replies. So real-world experience of people is fantastic and does give some pointers to everyone else.

Best wishes


Chris

[J Hoffa]

Thanks for your reply Chris!

I will for sure share as much as I can post op, good or bad.

Have a great weekend Chris!

J Hoffa

[J Hoffa]

I was scheduled to do the op today. When they did the scan/measurement of my cornea they couldn´t get any values or they differed alot from the next value.
So there was no op today. They will schedule me at a later time this fall and a "measurement specialist" will attend. I feel empty right now.

/J Hoffa

[Andrew MacLean]

J Hoffa

I am sorry to learn of your setback. Every good wish for your next appointment in the autumn.

Andrew

[munster]

I was scheduled to do the op today. When they did the scan/measurement of my cornea they couldn´t get any values or they differed alot from the next value.
So there was no op today. They will schedule me at a later time this fall and a "measurement specialist" will attend. I feel empty right now.

/J Hoffa

I have weird scan results too.

My consultant said, "Over the previous 4 scan results. The corneal thickness has been going up and down in values."

Its probably due to my constant lens wearing. He said I should be lens free for about 2 weeks before a scan. I told him that will never happen from the quality of vision with just glasses alone. I have to cope with my eyes, and so will you