I am estatic to report that this whole deal went off better than I could have possibly have dreamed. The graft site in my mouth, which I expected non-stop pain from, does not even HURT! i have absolutely no idea why it doesn’t for there is a huge divot in my hard palate! The lower lid has long sutures taped to my forehead with a pressure dressing over that, so the graft can "take" in my lower eyelid. The anesthesia was great. I am an RN, and did work in the OR and recovery room, so I am happily familiar with the drugs, here is a short and brief summary. No general anesthetic at all. A little Versed, which is an amnesic, anyone who has a colonoscopy has had it. I call it the "forgetting drug," it is a great description. A litte fentany up front at beginning of surgery, IV (pain med, wears of really fast.) And propofol, which is a white substance given IV. The instant it hits your vascular system, you are OUT! But the magic of this drug is they can stop it put you in a twilight sleep, where you are conscious and follow directions (open your mouth now, Shirley, I need to get to your palate for the graft." and I do it. It is used in cataract surgery, strabismus surgery (open you eyes, Shirley, do you see one line or two? Do you have double vision? where?" And, of course you have no remote idea that you have done theses thing.s When the drug is stopped, you are immediately awake, and ready to go home. It is a magic drug for anestesia for short procedures, and the appropriate surgeries. It is called a MAC, moniterd conscious (not really, only when they want you to be awake) anesthesia.
Ok, any questions? I have been terrified of this surgery, but three different consults in three states confirmed taht I really needed to have it done. Sorry for typos, I have one eye right now. The best "outcomes,excellent results," come from the palatal graft. Some people opt for an artifical graft, but the success rate is not as good, the rejection rate is higher, and there are a few docs who will use ear cartilage. But in my research, and what all docs say, is the the palatal graft rate is the must successful, and lasts. Some of the other results result in lid lag and retraction in a period of time,
But, as we say on this site all the time, everyone makes their own choices for their own personal reasons. This was an EXTREMELY hard decision for me, and I truly was terrified. Now, I am ready to move on, get the other eye done in 3 weeks, maybe THEN my mouth will really hurt, with two graft sites. But I want everything with TED experience to be as over as it possible can get. It has been two years of hell.
Shirley I will write again
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