I really hope someone out there could help me with this problem... please..please..please

Around 5 months ago, i started developing a swell in my upper left eyelid. (it wasnt a lump or anything). My eye kinda looked like how one would appear after drinking alot of water the night before. After looking inside the upper eyelid and seeing the bumps, the doctor diagnosed it as Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis or GPC - an allergic reaction to wearing contact lenses. There was no pain or itching or anything. As GPC goes, i did experience blurring and the contact lens riding up on my eye due to the GPC bumps grabbing on to the contact.

Immediately i discontinued wearing my contacts and the doctor put me on a variety of eyedrops ranging from Alomide, Alamast, Acular,Cromolyn to steroids drops like Flarex, Lotemax and Econopred. But even to today, the swelling is still there. I consulted several doctors regarding LASIK and asked them if it was safe to do it in my condition, and all of them felt that the GPC wouldnt affect the surgery and vice versa.

5 days ago I went in to do LASIK using the Visx 3 machine and my left eye was a -5.25. The day after the surgery, the doctor diagnosed my left eye as 20/30 or a -.75 but the thing is the vision in this eye was blurry. No matter how close i looked at something (ie, text on a book or looking at my computer monitor), things were blurry. (My right eye came out fine)

the doctor said i had a wrinkle in the left eye and i am scheduled to go in for a refloat this tuesday.

my question is this:
1. is it possible the GPC caused this wrinkling? (i asked my doctor, and he didnt think so)
2. if the GPC is causing it, will a refloat be unsuccessful
3. is it normal for GPC to last this long?

ive done so much research on GPC and on striae, but i just cant seem to find an answer. i really hope someone out there can offer me some advice. thank you

>I really hope someone out there could
>help me with this problem... please..please..please
>

>Around 5 months ago, i started developing
>a swell in my upper left
>eyelid. (it wasnt a lump or
>anything). My eye kinda looked like
>how one would appear after drinking
>alot of water the night before.
>After looking inside the upper eyelid
>and seeing the bumps, the doctor
>diagnosed it as Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis
>or GPC - an allergic
>reaction to wearing contact lenses. There
>was no pain or itching or
>anything. As GPC goes, i did
>experience blurring and the contact lens
>riding up on my eye due
>to the GPC bumps grabbing on
>to the contact.

> Immediately i discontinued wearing my contacts
>and the doctor put me on
>a variety of eyedrops ranging from
>Alomide, Alamast, Acular,Cromolyn to steroids drops
>like Flarex, Lotemax and Econopred. But
>even to today, the swelling is
>still there. I consulted several doctors
>regarding LASIK and asked them if
>it was safe to do it
>in my condition, and all of
>them felt that the GPC wouldnt
>affect the surgery and vice versa.
>

>5 days ago I went in to
>do LASIK using the Visx 3
>machine and my left eye was
>a -5.25. The day after the
>surgery, the doctor diagnosed my left
>eye as 20/30 or a -.75
>but the thing is the vision
>in this eye was blurry. No
>matter how close i looked at
>something (ie, text on a book
>or looking at my computer monitor),
>things were blurry. (My right eye
>came out fine)

>the doctor said i had a wrinkle
>in the left eye and i
>am scheduled to go in for
>a refloat this tuesday.

>my question is this:1. is it possible
>the GPC caused this wrinkling? (i
>asked my doctor, and he didnt
>think so)2. if the GPC is
>causing it, will a refloat be
>unsuccessful3. is it normal for GPC
>to last this long?

>ive done so much research on GPC
>and on striae, but i just
>cant seem to find an answer.
>i really hope someone out there
>can offer me some advice. thank
>you
The GPC did not contribute to the wrinkle. GPC can take up to a year to reverse once you stop wearing contacts. A refloat should eliminate the wrinkle but have it done as soon as possible.

Dr. Salz is right on. GPC is not a risk factor for flap striae.
The important thing is - to eliminate the striae ASAP. The longer one waits from the time of surgery, the more difficult it is to remove the striae.
There is a risk that more than one procedure will be required to remove the striae. You should talk with your own doctor to understand how the removal of the striae procedure will work.

Best of luck

Bill Trattler, MD
Miami, FL