My Experience with Band Keratopathy

A few years ago I was diagnosed with Band Keratopathy. I am completely blind in my right eye so this was concerning for me. Band Keratopathy causes calcium deposits to build up and form a band on the cornea. This was occurring in my left eye and was beginning to impact my already limited vision. Today I want to share the symptoms I experienced and the treatment I received and my recovery. You can learn more about this eye condition in the video below.

Here is an image of an eye that has Band keratopathy. This is not my eye.

Disclaimer: This is only my personal experience with this eye condition. I am not giving medical advice. Please refer to your eye doctor for medical advice.

My symptoms

One of the first symptoms I had was that a white band appeared on my cornea. My doctor noticed this. This band began to interfere with my vision and my eye would often feel very dry. I used eyedrops for my dry eye but more had to be done. At times I also felt like I had something in my eye like a crumb or sand.

The treatment I got for Band Keratopathy

My doctor decided it was best to remove the band before it expanded and blocked more of my vision. The doctor doing the procedure used a substance to breakdown the calcium band and then scraped off the pieces.

I was awake for the procedure but I did get a small dose of sedation medicine via IV. I received eyedrops that made my entire left eye numb so I did not feel anything during the procedure. The entire procedure lasted about 15 minutes. At the end of the procedure the doctor put a contact lense to act as a bandage. I also opted to have an eye patch for further protection.

Recovery

The recovery was the hardest part. The first night was very painful for me. I would recommend that you opt for the added protection of the eye patch. It helps to protect against germs and prevents you from touching the eye.

I had a lot of discharge from my eye and nose the first night but that became less the following day.

I had the eye patch on until I saw the doctor the next day. This is an out patient procedure so I did not stay overnight at the hospital.

The recovery took about 3 weeks. I had to take antibiotics and steroid eyedrops. My eye felt very scratchy and was very sensitive to light.

Overall I had a good recovery and my vision did improve.

Some extra thoughts

I searched for personal accounts from others with this condition when I was first diagnosed but I did not find much. I hope that my account of my experience with Band Keratopathy can help someone facing this eye condition. Feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments below.