Excimer laser surgery - advice?

[Tempestuous]

Hi,
I've recurrent corneal erosion in both eyes, dry eyes, severe light sensitivity, EBMD, MGD.

My specialist is looking into referring me to another surgeon and hospital for 'excimer laser surgery'.

So, I'm looking for information and advice and have a plethora of questions.

1 - This is PTK isnt it?
2 - Success rates?
3 - I have had erosions and debridement which have removed the areas with the micro-cysts, however they merely returned. Why do micro-cysts keep returning in the same places? Wont they just return when I have that area removed by the laser?
4 - What are the possible negative consequences of laser surgery?
5 - I have heard that surgery will remove a 'few levels of eyesight'. Is this true? What exactly does this mean? I could read the bottom line on eye charts before the erosions, so would surgery affect my sight in that or any other regard?
6 - what happens with the dry eye and light sensitivity afterwards?
7 - I'm being sent off to a rheumatologist in a fortnight for testing for possible autoimmune tie in to the eyes. Could this have any bearing on the efficacy of the surgery?

Anything else I should know or ask about?


Thanks all.

[mary kenny badami]

Hi, Tempestuous --

The term PTK (phototherapeutic keratectomy) rang a bell for me,
not from here but on our sister website LaserMyEye: http://www.lasermyeye.org/forums/index.php

Using the search term of "PTK" wasn't successful (too few letters, apparently);
however when I entered "phototherapeutic" as the search word, there were a handful of posts from folks who had either had the procedure or were thinking about it.

I have no personal knowledge of the PTK procedure, nor personal experience with your conditions of RCE and MGD,
but please know that I wish you well and hope that you are getting (or will soon be getting) useful replies to your questions.

[Tempestuous]

Thanks Mary,
I'll keep digging.

[liz56]

Tempestuous,

I was just reading in the 3/22/2010 issue of Review of Optometry about when a person with EBMD might be a good candidate for PRK / PTK. I know this is late, but I just found it today, and even if you have already embarked on this alternative, it still might help someone who is thinking about it.


"When Should You Treat EBMD with PTK?"

For now, I am still trying not to go the surgical route, but I always want to keep up on it in case I change my mind.

--Liz

P.S. Revisiting this thread just made me really miss Mary!