corneal graft

[Oli]

Hey, just wondering if anyone wants to give me any advice on corneal graft, im 20 and due to have one on the left eye in july,as i havent found suitable contact lenses for about 2 years now, and doctor says it would be good for me, however after reading some posts on here,it doesnt seem that fantastic,alot of people having problems after the op. But in most cases is it successful?,cheers for any replys

[GarethB]

Hi Oli,

Like most things we are all different, but according to the specialists grafts are succesful in that there is very low chance of rejection and good sight can be achieved with glasses. I myself managed to progress eventually to no sight correction at all for a good many years before reverting back to glasses.

Personally I would say if lenses, RGP or Scleral have not helped, then there is absolutly nothing to loose through having a graft.

Although my KC has progressed again; the condition I have is EXTREMELY rare post graft, I would still term my graft as a resounding success.

It would be a lie to say the graft will improve your vision overnight! It is a slow progresion as your eye heals and stitches are taken out a bit at a time to help the eye heal correctly. It comes down to your bodys ability to heal and adapt and the expertise of the specialist doing the graft and the post op follow up to give the eye the best chance.

Others here will add their comments, hope my experience helps.

Gareth

[John Smith]

Hello Oli, and welcome to the forum!

As Gareth mentioned, we are all different, but grafts are a reasonable option once all the non-surgical options have been tried or ruled out.

Have you tried "Rose K" RGPs, or Scleral lenses yet?

In my case, I'm wearing a Scleral lens in left eye and have a graft in the right. I couldn't wear a scleral lens in the right eye before the graft as there was too much corneal scarring.

Despite going through an unusual number of mild "rejection episodes", these have all responded very quickly to eye drops and the rejection was reversed.

As to the vision, I certainly get better vision from the grafted eye with glasses than I do with the Scleral-lens eye, but that may change with my next prescription.

Don't think that the graft is the be-all and end-all though. It's quite likely that you'll need glasses or contact lenses post-graft, and it could take as long as a couple of years before everything is stable afterwards.

Best of luck though, and please let us all know how you get on.

[Janet Manning]

Hi Oli,
As others have said, we all respond differently to grafts and it seems to me that the surgeons have no way of predicting the outcome in terms of vision. I was promised better vision and correction with glasses. What I got is 'different' vision, certainly no better and less correction with glasses. Post graft my eyes are more disperate, making optimum prescriptions in both eyes with glasses intolerable, so I go for good correction in one eye and a lens which makes the vision worse in the other so that at least I don't feel seasick!
With scleral lenses correction is good. Had I known about sclerals BEFORE the grafts I would probably not have needed the ops.So please try scleral lenses before the knife.
There is no research beyond 5 years for the longevity of grafts. Having said that I know people doing well after 30+ years. However it is one thing resorting to grafts in your 50s and quite another when you are younger. It is best to explore all possible options before a graft. You can after all still go for it if other solutions prove unsuitable for you.
Actual recovery from the operation is generally not too difficult, though it can take a while to get fitted with the right lenses or glasses.
Please let us know how you get on.
Janet