My mother is about to have a corneal transplant (she is in her advanced stage of the disease)this november. I want to know the problems faced by people after the operation.
How much vision is restored and what complications may occur? Is there anything that we should know about or be prepared for?
Kindly Help.
CORNEAL TRANSPLANT: HELP PLZ
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Autumn_Rose
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Anne Klepacz
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Re: CORNEAL TRANSPLANT: HELP PLZ
Hello and welcome,
Most people will still need a contact lens or possibly glasses after a transplant, although the vision should be significantly better than before. But I guess the main thing needed is patience! It can take anything from a few months to a year or more before there's a difference in vision. Certainly that was my experience - with the first eye that was done, I didn't get any benefit until I could wear a contact lens again and that's usually after the stitches have come out around 18mths after the op, whereas with the second eye, I could see a difference within a couple of months.
Immediately after the operation, there will be a variety of eye drops to use and the steroid drops (to prevent rejection) are usually prescribed for 6 months or so. And your mum will probably be given a shield to wear over the operated eye at night for a while - that's to stop people rubbing the eye in their sleep. The eye looks quite bloodshot for about a week after the op, but after that, no one would know that anything had been done.
The main thing to watch out for is any signs of rejection (though the risk of that is less if she is having a partial transplant, a DALK, rather than a full penetrating graft, a PK). So any sudden changes like the eye becoming red again, being sore, becoming more light sensitive again, the vision going down are possible signs and need a trip to A&E to have things checked out. But it's only a minority of people who will get a rejection episode, and they are easily reversed if caught early. There will be quite a few out patient appts after the op anyway to monitor how things are going.
I hope that helps - do ask any more questions.
And all the best to your mum for November.
Anne
Most people will still need a contact lens or possibly glasses after a transplant, although the vision should be significantly better than before. But I guess the main thing needed is patience! It can take anything from a few months to a year or more before there's a difference in vision. Certainly that was my experience - with the first eye that was done, I didn't get any benefit until I could wear a contact lens again and that's usually after the stitches have come out around 18mths after the op, whereas with the second eye, I could see a difference within a couple of months.
Immediately after the operation, there will be a variety of eye drops to use and the steroid drops (to prevent rejection) are usually prescribed for 6 months or so. And your mum will probably be given a shield to wear over the operated eye at night for a while - that's to stop people rubbing the eye in their sleep. The eye looks quite bloodshot for about a week after the op, but after that, no one would know that anything had been done.
The main thing to watch out for is any signs of rejection (though the risk of that is less if she is having a partial transplant, a DALK, rather than a full penetrating graft, a PK). So any sudden changes like the eye becoming red again, being sore, becoming more light sensitive again, the vision going down are possible signs and need a trip to A&E to have things checked out. But it's only a minority of people who will get a rejection episode, and they are easily reversed if caught early. There will be quite a few out patient appts after the op anyway to monitor how things are going.
I hope that helps - do ask any more questions.
And all the best to your mum for November.
Anne
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Andrew MacLean
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Re: CORNEAL TRANSPLANT: HELP PLZ
Hi
I was registered blind before i had my first graft: I have now had two and am able to drive.
Andrew
I was registered blind before i had my first graft: I have now had two and am able to drive.
Andrew
Andrew MacLean
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Autumn_Rose
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- Keratoconus: No, I don't suffer from KC
Re: CORNEAL TRANSPLANT: HELP PLZ
Thanks a lot for replying.
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