#21 ·
Hey there,
I’ve been reading a lot about cross-linking on this forum and getting advice from members who have already gone through it, so I figured it was time I shared my own experience to hopefully help anyone else considering it.
I’m 30 years old, and I was diagnosed with keratoconus about 7 or 8 years ago.
The silver lining here is that my condition has progressed relatively slowly; even after seven years, it’s still in a very early stage, which led me to decide on cross-linking.
I have to admit I neglected my eye health a bit and haven't had an exam in three years... during those intervening years, I was wearing Bostonov Envision hard contact lenses.
When I finally went in for a checkup six days ago, the doctor confirmed that the keratoconus is still in its early stages—the cornea in my right eye isn't distorted at all, while the left one has a tiny, tiny bit of irregularity. She suggested we do cross-linking on the left eye and just monitor the right one for now. I booked the surgery immediately, and it was performed two days ago.
Since I assume most people want to know what the actual procedure is like, I'll dive into the details:
So, I'm originally from the US, and I had the procedure done at St. Jude’s Hospital in Chicago (which is supposedly the top-rated clinic in the region). The surgery itself cost $1,000, plus about $200 for the preliminary exams (topography, etc.). The procedure is performed by Czech doctor Roszival (who is allegedly one of the best specialists in Europe), so I assume that’s why the price tag is a bit higher than what I see being discussed on forums here.
For some reason, I wasn't nearly as nervous as I expected to be—and I usually freak out just going to the dentist. After checking in, they sent me to my doctor first to sign the consent forms (in the US, you have to formally authorize the surgery). Then they applied some drops, took a corneal swab, and had me change into hospital scrubs. Next, I was taken to the operating room where they applied more drops and the doctor was waiting for me. I lay down on the specialized laser bed, and the doctor applied an eyelid speculum so I couldn't blink. He then placed something over my eye (I think it was a shield to protect the rest of the eye so that only the cornea and retina were exposed to the laser). Then he turned on the laser (this is when the epithelium is removed); it literally takes maybe 20 or 30 seconds, and it is completely painless. Once they finished, they told me it was done, and I moved to a different room to lie on another bed. Again, I have to emphasize: I felt absolutely no fear or anxiety whatsoever. A nurse came back, applied the speculum again (I forgot to mention the doctor removed the first one once he was finished), and started applying liquid, specifically Vitamin B2, every 3 or 4 minutes for half an hour. After that, the doctor came in, positioned a lamp over my eye, and told me to look into it. He turned on the light—it’s just a standard UV lamp—and I had to stare into it for half an hour while the nurse continued the drops. When the light went off, the nurse said we were finished, inserted a soft medical contact lens, and they escorted me to get dressed. Another nurse sat with me to explain the post-op behavior instructions and gave me my prescription medication.
I left the clinic, got in the car, and started the drive home (about a 2 to 2.5-hour trip). About half an hour into the drive—keep in mind the surgery ended around noon—my eye started feeling scratchy. For those of you who have worn hard contacts, it feels exactly like when a hard lens shifts out of place. I also couldn't stand the light at all, so I covered my head with a heavy jacket. When I got home, I blacked out all the rooms and lay down. The scratchiness continued, but it was manageable (I suspect people used to hard contacts find this sensation easier to deal with than those who have never worn them). I fell asleep around 8:00 PM, woke up around 10:00 PM—by then the scratchiness had significantly subsided—went back to bed, and slept for another half hour. When I woke up the next morning, there was NOTHING. No light sensitivity, no scratchiness, absolutely nothing!!!
So, I’m writing this now—it’s been two days since my surgery. Honestly, everything is fine. I’ve been using my computer, tablet, TV... nothing is bothering me at all. I go out for short walks occasionally, just wearing those UV sunglasses they gave me at the clinic, and that’s about it. I have a follow-up appointment in four days to get my soft contact lens removed, and then we’ll see how things progress from there.
I hope this gives some encouragement to anyone prepping for Cross-linking. It really isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be; the surgery itself and even the recovery process are totally manageable.
To everyone out there dealing with this condition: hang in there. It’s really not that bad when you consider people living with much more severe disabilities. Just stay positive and you'll be fine.
Big regards to everyone. I'll check back in after my follow-up to let you know how it's going.!!🙂
I’ve been reading a lot about cross-linking on this forum and getting advice from members who have already gone through it, so I figured it was time I shared my own experience to hopefully help anyone else considering it.
I’m 30 years old, and I was diagnosed with keratoconus about 7 or 8 years ago.
The silver lining here is that my condition has progressed relatively slowly; even after seven years, it’s still in a very early stage, which led me to decide on cross-linking.
I have to admit I neglected my eye health a bit and haven't had an exam in three years... during those intervening years, I was wearing Bostonov Envision hard contact lenses.
When I finally went in for a checkup six days ago, the doctor confirmed that the keratoconus is still in its early stages—the cornea in my right eye isn't distorted at all, while the left one has a tiny, tiny bit of irregularity. She suggested we do cross-linking on the left eye and just monitor the right one for now. I booked the surgery immediately, and it was performed two days ago.
Since I assume most people want to know what the actual procedure is like, I'll dive into the details:
So, I'm originally from the US, and I had the procedure done at St. Jude’s Hospital in Chicago (which is supposedly the top-rated clinic in the region). The surgery itself cost $1,000, plus about $200 for the preliminary exams (topography, etc.). The procedure is performed by Czech doctor Roszival (who is allegedly one of the best specialists in Europe), so I assume that’s why the price tag is a bit higher than what I see being discussed on forums here.
For some reason, I wasn't nearly as nervous as I expected to be—and I usually freak out just going to the dentist. After checking in, they sent me to my doctor first to sign the consent forms (in the US, you have to formally authorize the surgery). Then they applied some drops, took a corneal swab, and had me change into hospital scrubs. Next, I was taken to the operating room where they applied more drops and the doctor was waiting for me. I lay down on the specialized laser bed, and the doctor applied an eyelid speculum so I couldn't blink. He then placed something over my eye (I think it was a shield to protect the rest of the eye so that only the cornea and retina were exposed to the laser). Then he turned on the laser (this is when the epithelium is removed); it literally takes maybe 20 or 30 seconds, and it is completely painless. Once they finished, they told me it was done, and I moved to a different room to lie on another bed. Again, I have to emphasize: I felt absolutely no fear or anxiety whatsoever. A nurse came back, applied the speculum again (I forgot to mention the doctor removed the first one once he was finished), and started applying liquid, specifically Vitamin B2, every 3 or 4 minutes for half an hour. After that, the doctor came in, positioned a lamp over my eye, and told me to look into it. He turned on the light—it’s just a standard UV lamp—and I had to stare into it for half an hour while the nurse continued the drops. When the light went off, the nurse said we were finished, inserted a soft medical contact lens, and they escorted me to get dressed. Another nurse sat with me to explain the post-op behavior instructions and gave me my prescription medication.
I left the clinic, got in the car, and started the drive home (about a 2 to 2.5-hour trip). About half an hour into the drive—keep in mind the surgery ended around noon—my eye started feeling scratchy. For those of you who have worn hard contacts, it feels exactly like when a hard lens shifts out of place. I also couldn't stand the light at all, so I covered my head with a heavy jacket. When I got home, I blacked out all the rooms and lay down. The scratchiness continued, but it was manageable (I suspect people used to hard contacts find this sensation easier to deal with than those who have never worn them). I fell asleep around 8:00 PM, woke up around 10:00 PM—by then the scratchiness had significantly subsided—went back to bed, and slept for another half hour. When I woke up the next morning, there was NOTHING. No light sensitivity, no scratchiness, absolutely nothing!!!
So, I’m writing this now—it’s been two days since my surgery. Honestly, everything is fine. I’ve been using my computer, tablet, TV... nothing is bothering me at all. I go out for short walks occasionally, just wearing those UV sunglasses they gave me at the clinic, and that’s about it. I have a follow-up appointment in four days to get my soft contact lens removed, and then we’ll see how things progress from there.
I hope this gives some encouragement to anyone prepping for Cross-linking. It really isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be; the surgery itself and even the recovery process are totally manageable.
To everyone out there dealing with this condition: hang in there. It’s really not that bad when you consider people living with much more severe disabilities. Just stay positive and you'll be fine.
Big regards to everyone. I'll check back in after my follow-up to let you know how it's going.!!🙂