When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

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Whiteshepherd
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When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby Whiteshepherd » Sun 14 Apr 2013 8:33 am

I have a question for you folks. I am in the Us of course and we are less advanced in our studies of KC and corneal ectasia than the UK and Europe. I developed corneal ectasia after lasik done in 1999. I had a doctor tell me that ectasia was a "known complication" of lasik and I have to disagree with him. Maybe now it is known but I had never heard about it until diagnosis in 2008 and finding very good lenses for ectasia/KC has been very time consuming and expensive here in the US.. Here in the US it is difficult to always get straight answers because the doctors have a" thin white line" they don't like to talk bad about other doctors. Thanks

Brad

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Re: When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby Andrew MacLean » Sun 14 Apr 2013 12:35 pm

In the UK, before any laser eye treatment, they run al battery of tests and examinations to ensure that they minimize the possibility of the cornea-thinning treatment leading to ectasia. That said, there is a known phenomenon of laser treatment leading to ectasia and or keratoconus. I think that this is among the side effects of which people are (or ought to be) warned prior to treatment.

Every good wish.

Andrew
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Re: When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby GarethB » Sun 14 Apr 2013 3:07 pm

Andrew MacLean wrote:In the UK, before any laser eye treatment, they run al battery of tests and examinations to ensure that they minimize the possibility of the cornea-thinning treatment leading to ectasia. That said, there is a known phenomenon of laser treatment leading to ectasia and or keratoconus. I think that this is among the side effects of which people are (or ought to be) warned prior to treatment.

Every good wish.

Andrew



As far as I am aware from speaking with consultants these additional tests came in to place after several people were diagnosed with ectasia. It has been suggested this was hidden for sometime within the UK because the treatment came with a lifetime aftercare guarentee so the consultants performing this never declared the problem to a wider audience. The NHS cosnultants and optometrists that I have discussed this first became aware when patients weren't getting the follow up aftercare to the standard theye xpected or the private consultant was unable to help so refering the patient to the NHS.

I think the instances are far fewer now because of the additional tests thar are now done.
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Re: When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby Whiteshepherd » Mon 15 Apr 2013 3:46 am

I appreciate your knowledge and input. When I had lasik in 1999 from what I have read, ectasia was known in Germany and the UK and doctors were told about it. I am asking my doctor for lifetime medical care for the eye because it is very costly and quite a scary prospect. I was told that "ectasia is a known complication" and I had to disagree. From what you folks are saying medical care is better in the UK than the states. We are left to fend for ourselves with the damages of a surgical mishap and the doctors still have large fees. From looking at the old internet pages it seems that the first mention for the general population on mainstream websites was around 2005. Thanks again.

Brad

PS They still try and hide ectasia here in the US. Patients are still not told about the possibility of it and in older cases like mine most doctors know that the surgeon made mistakes such as cutting too deeply for the procedure. I had torn flaps on the procedure and from what my dentist has told me, the warpage can be seen with the naked eye.

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Re: When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby Andrew MacLean » Mon 15 Apr 2013 7:34 am

I guess that dentists get as close to our eyes as anyone ever will.

I am sorry that you had this experience and that you are having such a struggle to get good information. Every good wish.

Andrew
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Re: When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby Lynn White » Mon 15 Apr 2013 7:34 pm

This is a very thorny question.

It's a mixture of real lack of knowledge and reluctance to admit their are issues.

As an optometrist who specialises in keratoconus and ectasia, I find that a patient generally can become ectasic 6 or 7 years post LASIK. Sometimes, in retrospect, an issue can be seen that perhaps should have raised flags but often, the cornea showed no danger signals at the time.

Are you stating that your doctor claims that you were told that ectasia was a known risk at the time in 1999? And therefore you cannot claim ongoing care?

If this is so, then I tend to agree with you that at that time, ectasia was not a generally accepted risk of LASIK.

Additionally, I would have thought that if your doctor claims he told you it was a risk, then you should have signed s document saying you accepted that risk?

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Re: When was Corneal ectasia "known""?

Postby Whiteshepherd » Tue 16 Apr 2013 8:07 am

Hi Lynn,

You have stated it right on target. The below is exactly what I was told by the surgery team. I think they are just full of themselves. I never knew about ectasia until 2008 and after the doctor at the center told me it was "known" I checked with other institutions and they claim that the surgeon botched the surgery or they did miss something in the pre op testing and they should still cover my eyes for life. When I had gone to the dentist he asked me what was wrong with my left eye so he could actually see the ectasia with a naked eye so it must be bad. I have yet to find any lens that gives me vision to read with but I can drive in the daytime.

The only documents I signed mentioned loss of best corrected vision and dry eye..not much more and I do have dry eyes but I carry a bottle of lubricant all the time with me. I had one of the specialists mention that he thought that something called CK may help the eye but I don't want to risk the eye if it may cause me to have to have a graft.

I appreciate your knowledge and educated opinion on this subject.


Are you stating that your doctor claims that you were told that ectasia was a known risk at the time in 1999? And therefore you cannot claim ongoing care?

If this is so, then I tend to agree with you that at that time, ectasia was not a generally accepted risk of LASIK.

Additionally, I would have thought that if your doctor claims he told you it was a risk, then you should have signed s document saying you accepted that risk?

Brad


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