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  • New Member (Chronic Red Eyes)

    Greetings,

    Like many others on this site, I too suffer from eye redness (ongoing for almost 8 years now). After seeing 4 different eye doctors, the only diagnosis that I have been given has been severe dry eyes. I admit that I do feel a sense of dryness from time to time, but as long as the redness dissipates I can most definetely survive the dry sensation.

    In a 3-year span, I have used every preservative free eye drop under the sun, and although several provided a soothing sensation, none of them alleviated the redness. I used Doxycyline for a few months, but that was also ineffective. The doctor then performed the Schirmer's Test, but concluded that my tear production was very normal. I have now been using Restasis and Systane for the last month or two, but so far I have seen no indication of redness relief (I do understand that it typically takes a few months before the drug begins working). I am somewhat skeptical of the Restasis, as its primary function is to increase tear production which I really have no need for. Not to mention, one of its most common side affects (redness) is what I have been trying to escape.

    As the old saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. I have scoured the internet for anything that could possibly help cure redness, and with the significant lack of success stories, I starting searching for surgery procedures. I came across two:

    1.) http://www.seereye.org/
    The testimonials on this site are very encouraging. Unfortunately their only facility is located in Asia.

    2.) http://www.boxerwachler.com/whiteeyes/
    The procedure at this facility involves removing the membrane that holds the veins and yellow material on the eye (Supposedly the same type of procedure that they use to remove pterygium).

    *I have also included a photo of what my eyes typically look like on a daily basis in my photo album section.

  • #2
    Wow!

    I don't really get what they are removing. Is it the conjunctiva?

    Melissa
    pianolady

    Comment


    • #3
      That would be my guess as well, but with the limited procedural detail on that website, one can only speculate on what exactly is being removed.

      Comment


      • #4
        Yes. They remove the conjunctiva and inject a lot of Mitomycin C. Recovery is not easy and there are some serious risks - including infection and scleral melt. Not to mention, cutting ocular tissue is frightening to those of us on this board familiar with Lasik complications. But I understand your frustration and motivation for looking into this.

        My question is why are your eyes red? Do you have MGD, ocular rosacea, past Accutane usage? You need to address the underlying reasons for why your eyes are red and inflamed. Get the inflammation under control and your redness will likely improve. Unless you remedy the underlying cause, eye whitening seems like it would be a big risk for a potentially very short term solution.

        Gretchen

        Comment


        • #5
          Gretchen,

          I wonder if this process would remove the scar tissue from my right eye - the Scratchy spot as I call it. How in the world can they remove this without damage to the eye. Don't you need the conjunctiva? Does it grow back? I don't see how 4-6 days later you are back up and about. He told me the cyst aspiration would only take a few days to recover from, and it took me months. I guess everyone is different though. Perhaps I should ask this new doctor if this would be an option. I know there is something out there to remove this spot. I know that it causes a lot of inflammation in my eye as my carbuncle gets so blood red from the spot rubbing it all day when I move my eye. It also rubs my upper lid and causes that to be sore as well. I wouldn't say I am in pain anymore, but it does feel like a knife in the morning until my eye is well lubricated and sore by the end of the day. I do hope one day it can be removed or buffed out.

          Melissa
          pianolady

          Comment


          • #6
            I read the one site, and it says follow up for two months and the possibility of scar formation

            Sorry, been there done that!

            But I wonder what the effect on dry eye would be. With all the redness gone, you might think that the dry eye would improve. Any thoughts on this...

            Melissa
            pianolady

            Comment


            • #7
              Dr. Boxer-Wachler is a well-known lasik dr/ophthalmologist. New things keep coming up on the internet. Seems lasik may not be such a well paying procedure and docs are needing more things to add to their list. NOT Dr. Boxer-Wachler especially.

              Melissa, please read this stuff carefully. The websites never say 100% satisfaction guaranteed! They say "almost always", "most of the red..."
              If you're on here, you may have been cut already. Be careful of what you ask for.............yes, things could be worse.
              [
              B]
              A simple 10 minute procedure can quickly whiten your eyes.
              [/B] Notice it says "can quickly" whiten your eyes. It does not say that it WILL, but that it CAN. Big difference



              Lucy
              Last edited by Lucy; 29-Jul-2009, 22:11. Reason: addition
              Don't trust any refractive surgeon with YOUR eyes.

              The Dry Eye Queen

              Comment


              • #8
                I do not understand why they say it takes about a few days to recover from this when it takes 3-4 mounths to recover from a pterygium surgery ( sometimes a year!). I wish this was a cure for red eyes but i am not so sure. Two doctors in the world are doing this it says a lot i think.

                Comment


                • #9
                  As much as I would love to relieve my eye redness, I am rather skeptical of these claims; afterall, why isn't this type of eye-whitening surgery more well-known and commonly practiced? Things could actually get worse.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I agree immensely. My cyst aspiration has take months to recover from with bad results. I for one am not willing to take the chance.

                    Melisa
                    pianolady

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Gretchen View Post
                      Yes. They remove the conjunctiva and inject a lot of Mitomycin C. Recovery is not easy and there are some serious risks - including infection and scleral melt. Not to mention, cutting ocular tissue is frightening to those of us on this board familiar with Lasik complications. But I understand your frustration and motivation for looking into this.

                      My question is why are your eyes red? Do you have MGD, ocular rosacea, past Accutane usage? You need to address the underlying reasons for why your eyes are red and inflamed. Get the inflammation under control and your redness will likely improve. Unless you remedy the underlying cause, eye whitening seems like it would be a big risk for a potentially very short term solution.

                      Gretchen
                      Out of 4 different eye doctors, none were not able to determine the underlying condition, so in my case that is much easier said than done. The first doctor did note that I had MGD, but after a few months of Doxycycline, daily warm compresses and eyelid cleanings, it was safe to say that the MGD was not the cause. As for ocular rosacea, none of my doctors mentioned that to be a potential cause, nor tested for it. I will make sure and bring that up at my next consulation. I have never used accutane, so that can also be ruled out.

                      Out of curiosity, has anyone on this board managed to alleviate their redness? I haven't come accross many success stories for people with red eyes.

                      Comment

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