How long did you wait for an eye?

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Bob Mason
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How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Bob Mason » Tue 03 May 2011 2:58 pm

Hi Folks

As you all know, my wife had a corneal graft last week. It was 16 months and 4 days after being put on the waiting list. This morning St James Hospital here in Leeds told me the current waiting list is 15 to 18 months.

Could I ask how long you waited for an eye to be available? When you reply could you tell me where you had the graft and in what year you had a graft so that I can compare waiting lists by years and regions.

I am doing this to see if there is any pattern to how long people wait in various parts of the UK.

Thanks for your help

Bob
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Today is not soon enough to do what should have been done yesterday - at least that is what my Granny used to say. Trouble is I need a 26 hr day and a nine day week just to keep up.

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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Helen G » Tue 03 May 2011 3:48 pm

Just over 2 months wait (was brought forward from original 6 months planned)
Leicester (UK)
Feb 2011

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space_cadet
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby space_cadet » Tue 03 May 2011 5:17 pm

St James (Leeds) told me Aug 09 when I signed the paper work arounda year to 18 months wait, but due to a lot of issues etc by January 10 was bumped up the list and then with me in the room Mr M rung the co ordinatro and said if I didnt have it in 12 weeks would be pointless. Had the transplant march 11th 2010. so was waiting about 7 months in total, actual dates of everythignin my signature.
May09 Diagnosed with KC, March 2010 after a failed transplant it has left me legally blind a long cane user (since 2010) who is blind in a once sighted world

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Pat Chinnery
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Pat Chinnery » Tue 03 May 2011 6:41 pm

Hi
I had a hydrops episode Christmas day 2005 and was under the care of The Prince Charles Eye unit at King Edward VII hospital in Windsor.I was seen almost weekly to see how the hydrops was healing.Mid March it was decided that my eye would be in a resonable state for a graft 4 weeks later, operation arranged and had graft 4 weeks later on April 10.They told me at the time they only required 4 weeks to arrange for donor tissue.
Pat

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Ali Akay
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Ali Akay » Tue 03 May 2011 7:31 pm

I was under the impression that the waiting list for grafts was 3-6 months, but I guess it all depends on local demand and resources.

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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Andrew MacLean » Wed 04 May 2011 8:17 am

I think I would have been three months for my first graft, but as the date offered was not good for me, I waited just short of five months for my first graft. It was shorter for my second.

Andrew
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby GrandPaClanger » Thu 05 May 2011 1:24 pm

I was put on the list end of November. I was told just before Christmas that my graft would be on the 3rd of May . Sure enough it was to the day (Leicester Royal Infirmary) I seem to be very lucky so far and long may it continue.

Ian

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Susan Mason
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Susan Mason » Thu 12 May 2011 12:45 pm

Hi All

I have just been put on the list (14th April 2011) and have this morning been told pre op is likely to be August/Sept and then graft (if I choose to go that far) will be 3 or 4 months later, so looks like approx 8 months wait currently forcast for Royal Bolton Hospital.

FYI - my reasons for (if I choose to go that far) are I now have blood vessels in the eye which may reduce transplant success 50/50 being mentioned :-(


Susan
don't let the people that mean nothing to you get you down, because in the end they are worth nothing to you, they are just your obstacles in life to trip you up!

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John Smith
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby John Smith » Wed 18 May 2011 11:53 am

In 2002 and 2005, I waited about 4-6 weeks for my donor corneas.

Both operations were carried out privately, but I was told that the wait on the NHS was more for theatre time a than for the donor tissue to be available.
I was slightly surprised by the 6 week wait for my second transplant, as my surgeon (Chad Rostron) had his own eye bank (I had an unusual "freeze-dried" cornea that time).

John
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Anne Klepacz
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Re: How long did you wait for an eye?

Postby Anne Klepacz » Wed 18 May 2011 4:01 pm

Waiting times do seem to have got longer in recent years, though it also seems to vary around the country. I only waited 3 mths each time on the NHS - but this was 25yrs ago and Moorfields has its own eye bank so isn't dependent on the national eye banks. It would be interesting to hear from more people especially those who have had a graft in the last year or two.
Anne


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