Cure/ Treatment for Mid-Stroma Scars Caused by Herpetic Eye Infection?

Hello,

I live in Whistler, BC, Canada, and have been suffering from blurry vision caused by deep corneal scars, in turn apparently caused by a herpetic eye infection, since January 2010. With weekly (at times only monthly) treatment at the Vancouver Eye Care Center ever since, I'm still experiencing blurry enough vision in that (right) eye, to the point where reading text with my left eye closed (only using the effected eye) is impossible. Also, the eye feels swollen and mildly uncomfortable at times, but no pain.

Treatment has been a combo of steroid eye drops and anti-viral pills. At times it seems to improve, and the meds get scaled back, only to 're-blur' in time. As I am a very active 35 year old (snowboarding, motorcycle racing, plans to become a pilot, etc), with better that 20/20 vision prior to this complication, is there any hope of clearing up the scars? I understand they are caused by white blood cells, and may be too deep for laser treatments.

Doctors opinions vary between: keeping me on the meds long enough that it may clear, and: your going to be stuck with 'some 'permanent vision loss. Also the docs say 2 blood vessels have grown from the white part of my eye across the colored area, eliminating the chance of a transplant. Additionally, they say because my eye tests are better than most people post surgery, there would be no point any way. Grrrrr!

Any hope or experimental treatments where the mid-stromal corneal scars can be removed? Are they correct in their treatment and attitude with my loss of vision? Can nutrition or other factors effect the healing process? Its really annoying, as when objects a few feet from my face are in front of my good eye, Im left with the blurry vision of my right eye to navigate ski runs and twisty roads!

Very thankful for any advice, sorry for the long description :)

[hanjai]

PS- the medication dosage has been all over the place, as different doctors have increased and decreased the dosage based on examinations and progress. At times I've let the meds run out for weeks at a time (after finishing a course), when its at its best (which isnt very good), only to have the symptoms recur. While I try to take as little meds as possible as a general rule (took 3 weeks to get treatment, as I thought it was pink eye), have I hurt my chances at healing by being sporadic with the drugs? Can too much of those steroid eye drops over time be harmful if I decide to keep medicated for a year or something?

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

You should get a second opinion from a corneal specialist.  

Dr. O.