Surgery time!

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rcpratt

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
About to head to the hospital for my cornea transplant surgery. Long story short, I have keratoconus in both eyes, but much worse in my right. I haven't been able to wear a contact in my right eye for the better part of five years.

In a few hours my new cornea will be all stitched into my eye like this!

corneal_transplant.jpg


More details as they develop, not sure when I'll be able to post again. Wish me luck!

update 6/5/12:
rcpratt said:
Wow, I really thought I had updated this at some point.

So, TLDR version of the past year: surgery, one week of pain, one month of annoying discomfort, one more month of mild discomfort, three more months of intermittent discomfort while the stitches loosened and were subsequently removed. 6 months of no discomfort but extreme annoyance at the fact that I still cannot see. Glasses don't help and I haven't found a contact that will work yet.

Main issue is a "ridge" of tissue on my lower cornea, which is causing difficulty fitting a contact.

Scheduled PRK corrective surgery today, which is an...interesting, I guess, development. The main goals are to correct my astigmatism (including the ridge as much as possible), and pretty much guess on the nearsightedness and get it as good as possible. Best case, I'll end up with decent enough vision with no correction that I can at least stumble to the bathroom without stepping on a dog, and then have a contact that I'll wear during the day. Worst case, it won't fix the ridge and I still won't be able to be fitted with a contact, and then we would have to progress to a laser surgery where we could really focus on the ridge.

Super frustrating, but it is what it is. At least something is going to happen soon.
Click to expand...

update 2/22/13:

Update!

I'm now almost 2 years post-op on the cornea transplant and 9-months post-op on the PRK. Many, many, many continued attempts at fitting a contact were futile. My doctor suggested a second transplant as the only remaining viable option. Then I went to UofM for a second opinion.

UofM's Kellogg Eye Center is one of the few places in the nation that fit PROSE lenses. Long story short, I've determined that PROSE is basically a miracle lens for anybody with kerataconus or any sort of cornea issues. I'm now on my fourth fitting session (wearing the lens right now while I wait to go back in the afternoon). The very first lens, which wasn't even tailored for me, was inifinitely more comfortable than any other lens that I've ever tried. Now that I'm on my third custom PROSE lens, I have 20/20 vision and more comfort than I've ever had. This thing is far more comfortable than the lens I use on my left eye (which is kerataconus-inflicted, but no surgeries).

It's not my dream solution (magical surgery for 20/20 without aid)...but it's damn close. For the first time in about five years I have something better than 20/500 vision out of my right eye. Thanks UofM (wow, that's painful to say) and Kellogg!!
Click to expand...
 
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N

nanette1985

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 2005
4,209
2
0
Best to you! Hope your surgeon has done this a thousand times and that your surgery is just another uneventful success for him! Speedy recovery.
 
MarkXIX

MarkXIX

Platinum Member
Jan 3, 2010
2,642
1
71
I have surgery too today to remove "abnormal cells" in and around some moles on my back. Initial biopsy came back as non-cancerous, but they were concerned enough to want to remove additional tissue.

This will be my second surgery and I will have about 15 stitches in two locations on my back. I will have two more surgeries after this for two more areas.
 
highland145

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,614
6,002
136
MarkXIX said:
I have surgery too today to remove "abnormal cells" in and around some moles on my back. Initial biopsy came back as non-cancerous, but they were concerned enough to want to remove additional tissue.

This will be my second surgery and I will have about 15 stitches in two locations on my back. I will have two more surgeries after this for two more areas.
Click to expand...
Best of to you, too.
 
rcpratt

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
OverVolt said:
What caused the eye trouble initially? Contacts? Bacteria?
Click to expand...
Keratoconus just happens. It's a thinning of the cornea, which causes it to become irregularly shaped and the poor vision.

Everything went well! We were in the OR for just over two hours. He was able to do the partial thickness transplant, which means much less chance of rejection down the road and a stronger wound.

Kind of bummed I didn't get any sweet drugs, but he said there should be almost no pain.

I have an eyepatch on until I see him tomorrow morning, so I'll update with pics and how my vision is then.
 
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Saint Nick

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
Good stuff buddy, glad everything went well...eye surgery makes me queasy, so props to you for sticking through it (even though I'm sure you were sedated).

The whole hospital/doctor environment can be a little unnerving.
 
dpodblood

dpodblood

Diamond Member
May 20, 2010
4,020
1
81
Ugh... the thought of eye surgery makes me sick. Glad everything went OK for you.
 
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