My partial corneal graft (DSEK) in December didn’t improve the vision in my left eye, it made it a lot worse. I saw the surgeon two days, and then two weeks after the operation and he was pleased with the graft at that point. The wound had healed well and I had no pain, but no real vision either. Three months was the period I was told it could take to get improved vision.
By January there had been a very slight improvement in what I could see. In that month I had two further post-op appointments but ‘my’ surgeon, Mr Aguirre, was off sick after an accident so I saw a different consultant who was not very forthcoming but continued to assert that I could still be on track for good vision in three months. I didn’t believe this.
(Below: my graft on 31st January, probably at its best)
Next appointment was a month later, on 24th February with yet another consultant, Ms Lagnado. She was much more communicative and said that the graft was not working and was unlikely to work. This was both a big disappointment but also a huge relief as it acknowledged what I already knew.
Ms Lagnado said as I wasn’t her patient she couldn’t plan the next step but felt it would probably not be a good idea to repeat the partial graft but to do a full thickness corneal graft (PK) instead. She also said there was a cataract forming which it would be best to do at the same time. Corneal surgery can bring on cataracts and cataract surgery can damage the endothelial cells - the ones I’m lacking, so doing both together makes sense. My next appointment was to be with Mr Aguirre on 27th March. If he hadn’t returned to work Ms Lagnado would see me.
In the days after this it seemed a long time ahead before I knew what would happen next, and when it would happen. I started to be concerned about what Ms Lagnado said about doing the graft and cataract together. Cataracts, I thought, couldn’t be removed until they were ready - did this mean I might have to wait years for surgery on my left eye, and meanwhile my right would continue to deteriorate?
Over this time too I was aware that vision in my left eye was getting mistier again. It had been at its best about mid January and was now looking very much like it had when the dressing was first taken off. On Sunday night (4th March) John said, when he was putting drops in, that the eye was looking worse on the outside, my pupil was no longer visible, and maybe I should contact the hospital the next day.
The signs to look out for for rejection are redness, pain, and worsening vision. I didn’t actually have pain but my eye did feel more swollen. On Monday I rang the hospital and an appointment was made with the duty eye doctor, Mr Clowes.
(Below: my eye on 5th March, before going to the hospital)
At the eye clinic reception John noticed Mr Aguirre’s name was written on the board and thought this must mean he was back in work. When I saw Mr Clowes he examined my eye and eventually assured me the graft wasn’t being rejected. He was aware it wasn’t working though and asked me what the plan was. I said there wouldn’t be a plan until I saw Mr Aguirre on 27th. I asked ‘He is back, isn’t he?‘ Mr Clowes said he didn’t know as he’d been off too. John at that point said he’d seen Mr Aguirre’s name on the board, so Mr Clowes went off to find him.
Mr Aguirre then came and examined me. The outcome was that he suggested he do a PK and cataract removal as soon as it could be arranged. Apparently it is no longer necessary to wait for a cataract to ‘ripen’. I told him we planned to go to France for three weeks in April so the operation will probably be in early May.
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