Does ANYBODY have a pinguecula? Looking for ideas, similar stories, anything....

[Nanerpus]

I'm a 26 year old female with dry eye, allergy eye, and longstanding benign "bumps" in each eye of fatty tissue, otherwise known as pingueculas. One in particular in the right eye is constantly getting inflamed, aggravated by wind, dust, etc. and occasionally I need to go on Alrex for a week or so from my eye doc to bring the inflammation down. It's a constant souce of stress, embarrasment, and mild stingy irritation.

I'm considering going to the Harvard Eye Institute in CA (http://www.harvardeye.com/procedures/pterygium.html) to have their procedure done to rid my eye of this pest. They use a technique that utilizes glue, not stitches, and there is a reccurence rate of only 1%. From all the forums of people who have been there online, I have read nothing bad other than it being expensive (not a big deal to me at this point, I will do anything to get rid of this!). The doctor seems well-known and seasoned in this technique, and I have also asked Dr. Latkany for his input.

I'm seeing my eye doc on Monday and plan on asking him to look into this clinic for me and let me know what he thinks. I had previously asked about him taking it off but he said it would possibly leave a scar that is even worse looking. At this point I'm almost ready to take that chance.

Does anybody have "pings" or have had them removed? I'm seeking any input at all!!! Thank you!!!

[y-gwair]

Sorry no I don't, but my husband has them quite badly and they are causing him quite a bit of discomfort, which he doesn't want to admit. Would be interested to hear how you get on, and hope there is something that can be done to help with them. Is there any chance that this sort of surgery might initiate other dryness issues, as with lasik? I think that would be my main worry. Good luck with trying to find a solution, hope the new treatment is as promising as it sounds.

[Nanerpus]

Saw a specialist today

I saw a corneal specialist today who believes my pinguecula would not be such a bother if not for my dryness and allergies. She proposes to first try a plug in just one eye early in the morning and that way I can go right back to her that day if I do not like it.

If the plug doesn't help, she thinks I should go on Lotemax for 1 month with regular eye checks for pressure, and then try to start Restasis which she says will help the allergies and dryness. Even though I tried it once and had a bad reaction, she thinks it was because I was so inflammed from allergies at the time and need to do it when my eyes are feeling good -hence the lotemax to get me through the first week or so of restasis.

She believes surgery is an option, but only after we've tried a few more things. She said the redness from surgery lasts months and can be off-putting.