Intacts & Informing work you have KC , afraid of losing job

[pbsiakht]

Thanks for posting updates. I have a corneal thickness low 300's in my left eye. Bit confused now with the intacs. did you have your right eye crosslinked. I was in the same position where I had one eye cross linked and then told one eye was too far and I totally get what you mean about the hosp just letting it advance and trying to manage the vision. I posted an interview Mr Nick Dash in which he discusses this major issue with "managing keratoconus with RGP's"

Are the intacs not ideally placed straight after c3r. Dr Wachler told me he was going to do holcomb c3r in my left eye and then place intacs to flatten the cornea but now I am just thinking to get cross linked and leave the intacs.

Regards

[drink]

Sorry for late reply.

No I never had C3R done. just went in for the intacs on their own. Even if you have c3r done, it will not cure keratoconus, CL's will still be needed. Id just stick with CL's on their own.

No DR can gaurantee anything when it comes to surgery on the eye, every eye is different,healing process different, hiw the eye will heal etc etc, which is why, think long and hard before making permanent changes to the eye. only do it as a last resor. Hence why i went for intacs, it is reversable, but i will find out soon how true that is when i have them remived in a few weeks. I will post an updat on here.

Also one thing to bare in mind regarding intacs which no one mentions,is glare given by intacs isnt nice. When looking at light you can actually see the 2 half circle shaped rings around the light. Thats the light caught by the intacs projected around the light from your view (if that made sense). Its not nice at night because you see lines of light everywhere, but soon you get use to it and learn to ignore them.

[James_Ldn]

Even if you have c3r done, it will not cure keratoconus, CL's will still be needed. Id just stick with CL's on their own.

Cross-linking will not 'cure' keratoconus in the sense that it won't reverse the damage already done, but it does stop the keratoconus from getting worse. The general consensus in the research literature is that epi-off cross-linking is safe and is effective in approx. 98% of cases. And anywhere up to 70% of cases actually see some minor improvement as well. We don't have long-term data (ie. more than 15 years), but for many people the far greater risk will be not having cross-linking done and letting the keratoconus progress further. Yes, contact lenses or glasses will still be necessary, but obviously it's easier to get improved vision when keratoconus it's still at its moderate stage.

I believe the Holcomb C3R approach uses epi-on crosslinking, and there is a bit more debate as to how effective this is.

Intacs on their own won't halt the progression of keratoconus. They might 'flatten' the cornea for a bit, but they don't change the biomechanics of the cornea. Also, I've read quite a bit of research which questions the long-term safety of intacs as well.

[drink]

C3R will halt the progression, but it WILL permanently change the eye one way or another. Which may or may not lead to complications when it comes to correcting vision. If C3R does work out well, then great, however, if it doesnt work out, your kind of stuck with whats left of it. Which could cause complication with work, hobbies, socialising basically change your life. Its each to their own.
If C3R was available when i was forst diagnosed with KC then I would have jumped at the chance. Now 15+ years down the line, dont think it would be the wisest of moves.

C3R or intacs etc, most of these surgeries are ideal for very very early stages of KC, Where KC has just been detected and halt it using c3r and corrected using intacs etc would be ideal. Or straight after a new graft has been healed in.

If having C3R done after 10-15years living with KC IMO i wouldnt do it, chances are most of the damage will have already be done, and progression slowed down almost to halt.

[drink]

Quick late update:
Intacs have been out of my eye now for a few months, and yes, still having problems getting a good contact lens fitment comfort/vision correctiin.

The intacs has left scars on the eye. And let me tell everyone one thing who might be considering intacs, it is not as straightforward as removing them and being back to where you were, IF they do need to be removed. It WILL leave scars when removed; which will result in glare in the eye. Also shape of the eye/cornea will change slightly.

I did have a good fitting contact lens before intacs. Since having intacs and then having them removed, not had contact lenses since....

Intacs are not as reversable as they say it is.

[CrippsCorner]

Sorry to hear things haven't gone smoothly! That's why I like this place, you get the real experiences from people... not just fluff from advertising on websites.