My Conjunctivochalasis Surgery Experience

By lovehorses

2 min read

Yesterday I had the first of two surgeries to repair the conjunctiva which is the film over the cornea that sometimes sags and wrinkles.

I have it in both eyes and it has caused over a year of misery. My doctor said it's the only way to correct what's happened to my poor dry eyes.

Conjectivochalasis surgery fears

I was very apprehensive about the surgery. Oh boy, I read all about it and when he said he will not only sew the membrane but also will staple it to ensure it grafts perfect, I almost backed out.

I didn't and the surgery was very easy.

I was given a mild sedative to calm me and I know he must have done something to my eye to numb it but I didn't feel that.

I was awake during the entire procedure and heard all the conversations they were having. It was not painful and it didn't take but about 20 minutes and I was back in recovery.

What is post-surgery like?

The recovery was very brief about 30 minutes and I was discharged to my ride home.

When I got home my eye was covered with a shield that doctor said I could remove at home and to only put it on when I was sleeping.

I had no pain until around 9 that evening so I took Tylenol and Ibuprofin and had a good night's sleep.

The next morning I went back to see the doctor and he said everything looked good and to continue with the two different drops he provided. One is an antibiotic which is used 3 times a day and the other is a mysterious vial that I received at his office and it's to be kept in the fridge and used every 2 hours 8 AM to 8 PM.

My eye is a bit tired and a bit sore but otherwise it seems ok. This is only less than 48 hours out but I'm encouraged by the fact that I see clearly despite the contact lens that is over the membrane graft.

I hope this has helped anyone who is thinking of having the procedure. I'm thinking positive thoughts about its outcome and looking forward to the other eye being done.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The ChronicDryEye.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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RHall Community Admin
Thank you so much for sharing! It's great that round #1 of the surgery went well. I think it's really helpful for others to hear about what the procedure can look like. And I appreciate you being vulnerable to share some of your fears going into surgery - because I am sure others have similar questions too! - Reggie, <a href='https://chronicdryeye.net' target='_blank'>ChronicDryEye.net</a> team member
lovehorses Member
Well I've had round #2 of the eye surgery to correct the problem with the Chalasis. It went about the same as the first surgery. No real pain, the only pain is having to wear a metal eye protector at night so I don't bump it by mistake. I have my follow up in 3 days and will probably have the stitches taken out at that time. Having brought up the subject of stitches, that was not a fun time having them removed and I'm not looking forward to the removal of the ones I now have in the other eye. That aside, it really was quite simple and I had no real problem. Now I have to see if these surgeries will allow me to return to my life that I had pre-dry eye. Something very interesting happened last week. I took my parakeet to the vet and while they were examining him my eyes started to feel like they did before the surgeries. I left the exam room and went out to sit in the waiting room. I asked the tech what animal had been in the room before me and she said a woman with her cat. Well this confirmed what I had not wanted to believe and that was my sweet cat had contributed a lot to my eye problems. A friend was keeping him while I was going through the surgeries and I really hadn't tied together his absence and the absence of my most severe dry eye problems. I made the decision that he couldn't come back and although this broke my heart I had no choice. He's fine with my friend and he's loved and cared for there but I do miss him a lot. Well I go to have the stitches out in 3 days and I guess I'll just have to see what happens next. I will keep you posted on my progress.
lovehorses Member
My second Conjunctivochalasis surgery was done last week. Although I need to rest that eye more than I do, I have to say the results are amazing. The eye that was done first, about a month ago, has healed nicely and is behaving beautifully. The eye that was done last week is still in it's healing stage but is a huge improvement over what it was before the surgery. I realize there are several different approaches to this type of surgery and mine seems to be a little more invasive that some others, but I am sold on the merits of the one I had. I hope this is how it's going to be going forward because as I've said it's a huge, wonderful improvement over how I was before the surgeries. I actually visited with my horses yesterday and although I wore my moisture chamber glasses that made me look like an alien, the visit went very well. I had no side effects from being with them or being outside. I will continue to report my progress. I still am on steroid drops but am tapering off of them. I cannot believe what a difference this has made.
Anna Samson Member
I just read your story and your updates in the comments and I'm so glad to hear the surgeries have been helping you! It was smart of you to realize the correlation between having your cat around and dry eye symptoms from just being in a room that a cat was previously in. Although I'm sorry to hear you could no longer keep your cat. I hope your symptoms continue to improve! Wishing you the best.
lovehorses Member
I am now over 3 months out since my Conjectivochalasis surgery. I'm still very happy I had it done. Although I do have brief periods of a feeling of my eyes being tired, overall the change in them has been nothing short of miraculous. Before the surgery I literally would spend most of my days inside with my eyes shut. There were times when the pain would all of a sudden appear and it would be so intense that I could no nothing but cry. I am so fortunate that I live near Dr. Maskin who was able to diagnose and correct my problem. Before I saw him my regular eye doctor told me that he couldn't do any more for me and I'd just have to live with it. That was out of the question so I began searching for someone who treats only dry eye disease. I found Dr. Maskin and within 3 months he had fixed the problem that I'd had for several years. I am eternally grateful to him for giving me back my life.
1. Sharon Moore Member
 <inline-mention username="lovehorses" user-id="4691491"/> I am happy to hear your surgery was a success. Kudos for not giving up when your doctor said there was nothing more to be done. Enjoy having your life back! Sharon Moore Patient Leader 
2. RHall Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="lovehorses" user-id="4691491"/> This is INCREDIBLE! Thank you for sharing your story. And we're so thrilled that you have experienced such a transformation and improvement. : ) - Reggie, team member