Lens type change & laser treatment?!

[Ben Watson]

Hiyah All,

I have been wearing glasses since the age of 4 and was diagnosed with KC in my early teens; at 12 I was wearing RGPs in both eyes and have been using them since.

After a couple of eye infections over the last two years (and thus not being able to wear the contacts) my opthalmist is considering the possibility of changing to scleral lenses. Their argument was that these are not touching the surface of the eye so may help to prevent infections.

Additionally, due to the infections, it was also discussed that I could consider having laser treatment to remove the corneal scarring. I am a little apprehensive on this to say the least.

My opinion is that my eyes are okie at the moment with the rgps and would prefer not to change. The infections only happen once in a while and you can "cope" without the lenses for this period; although work is difficult. I am also scared that the laser treatment my actually worsen my sight.

Please could you let me know your thoughts as to what may be the best course of action. I need to make a decision either way in the near future.

Thank y'all!

Cheers,
Ben

[GarethB]

Hi Ben,

I think you have put a good case for sclerals there. I agree we can live with infections, however there is a risk of scarring. As this gets wors, it can ipmapt on your field of view making vision cloudy and this can lead to the need for a graft even though the cone is not too steep. Not being a scleral user I am only reporting what I have seen posted here. For some they are wonderful and comfort is brillient. Others find the visual aquity not as good so need to wear glasses on top to come near to the same quality obtained with RGP lenses.

It sounds like lenses would be the best bet to save surgery as a last resort as it can not be undone.

As for laser surgery, there are many who have come to this site in a panick as they have gone for laser surgery for being short sighted to be told they can not have it due to KC. Unless things have changed I am sure this is still the case.

The reason is that in KC the cornea has become thinned and laser surgery actually takes a small layer off of the cornea to change the refractive index. I understood this caused mild scarring. The other thing is laser surgery can only correct for certain levels of regular astigmatism. In KC there is irregular astigmatism, ie the cornea itself is not a smooth surface it should be. Laser surgery is not precise enough to deal with this.

If it were me in your position, I would go for sclerals.

Hope this helps.

Gareth

[jayuk]

I think Gareth hit said it very well!..and very true indeed!

Sclerals shouldbe a serious consideration for you

[Ben Watson]

Hi All,

Thanks to everyone who viewed and also responded to my questions. I think that I got a little panicky after hearing what the doctors at the eye clinic said on a routine checkup.

I have since spoken with the opthalmist and she confirmed that there is no need to change to the scleral lenses. I have only ever used rgps to date and, according to the opthalmist, from a lens wear persepctive my eyes are coping very well with rgps so why should these be changed when they are working well? She does believe that the infections I have had over the last couple of years may have been due to "bad hygiene", so I will just reiterate that it is important to keep your hands/cases/solutions as clean and fresh as is possible.

With regards to the laser treatment, there were some cross-wires between the eye clinic and opthalmics. The intention was to remove a "bump" from my right eye however, when the opthalmics saw me with the lens in, the fit was so good that there was no need to change anything. The previous time I was seen by opthalmics was immediately after an infection so I was not wearing the lenses at the time.

All in all I am very pleased. I am continuing with the rgps and there is no medical need to have laser surgery; any type of surgery is always worrying.

Thanks again to y'all.

Cheers,
Ben

[jaz singh]

hi im jaz i have had keratoconus for 4 to 5 years i have tried rgp and i couldn't get the comfort i have also a corneal transplant in my left eye and a year later i was given scleral lenses but it doesn't seem to be working out.

I get infection nearly once or twice a month they are thinking of changing the scleral lenses to a soft lens as with the scleral lenses i get a sticky build up, but in 2 months they might also give me glasses as the vision exceeds the legal driving vision which is amazing after a graph.

It might be just worth while speaking to some at moorfields eye hospital just for some advice thats if your not a patient there on the options

I was also told about laser but i dont want to go down that road unless necessary until i have seen what the graph has done for me.

i have to agree with you dont have an operation unless it becomes the only option and if they can help with lenses wear them.