You may want to speak with your doctor regarding these: the Boston
Scleral Prosthetic Lens.

http://bostonsight.org/

http://bostonsight.org/aboutlens.htm

I would try some 30 day silicone hydrogel contacts (try the focus night
& day and/or the Purevision), if you haven't already.  They will protect
the epithelium from the lids or whatever it is that keeps lifting it
off.  Usually RCE is caused by a previous corneal injury that never
quite healed properly and keeps getting "stuck" to the inner lid
surface, but if you never had that, who knows?

w.stacy, o.d.

I would go and see another doctor. A cornea doctor would be good. I have
seen many over the years. I saw what was supposed to be the best and got
nowhere. Finally got one when I went to a doctor who said I was too
complicated for him. Lucky for me. This one is in Boston(Don't know where
you are). Not sure if you have the same exact problems but I would also wake
up in the middle of the night and if I was not so chicken could have pulled
out my eyeballs. It is brutal. I would put in the ointment and tape my eyes
shut just to make sure I didn't open them when I slept to keep the ointment
in. What worked for me was flaxseed oil. The doctor after many other things
she did started me out on that. Almost 40 years of torture came to an end. I
am still surprised it has worked and continues to do so. Not sure why it
worked so well for me but glad she put me on to it. I don't think most
people can imagine what this does to you. Can't drive when it is bad, can't
even read. computer is out when it is bad. Much more. But I would certainly
go and check out more doctors in case that happens to help. I stayed with
one too long trying to trust in him before going doctor hopping. Good luck.

You may have to wear bandage contact lenses for many, many months if you
have a bad case (as it sounds like you do).

When you say you've "had the laser surgery", do you mean you've had PTK
in an attempt to cure the RCE, or do you mean you've had refractive
laser surgery for vision (which may have *caused* the RCE)?

Also I'm curious as to why you had to see a few doctors before you found
out the diagnosis. Sounds like a pretty straightforward diagnosis to me
(judging only by what you've written).

Dom

I had recurrent corneal erosions (because of map-dot-fingerprint
corneal dystrophy) for two years, when I was 23-25.  It's now been over
five years with no erosions; I apparently both got treatment that
helped, and the type of corneal dystrophy I had is sort of
self-limiting, from what I've read.  I eventually got to a corneal
specialist toward the end of that two-year period.  Instead of regular
Hypotears-type ointment, he put me on Muro 5% salt ointment, and the
same formulation of drops several times during the day, alternating
with a thick drop like Celluvisc.  There's a study out there that says
Muro isn't any better than a regular non-saline ointment, but my
erosions stopped immediately, and I'm okay with being an anecdotal
example that doesn't prove the stuff is better.  If you haven't tried
it, nothing to lose.  You often have to ask for it at the pharmacy, or
occasionally it's out with the regular ointments and drops.  I put it
in EVERY night before bed or before a nap, even now.  I also tried to
open my eyes slowly upon waking, rolling them around first.  No idea if
it seriously helped, but the trauma of suddenly opening your eyes when
the top layer of cornea is adhering to the eyelid is what rips it off,
I was told.  Either it was just my time to stop getting erosions, or
some element of this regimen really helped.

What explanation has your doctor offered for why you are getting
erosions?  If they're in both eyes I think that's highly suggestive of
corneal dystrophy.  Some kinds are scarier than others.  I did end up
with some scarring on my corneas, and in the right eye it causes some
haloes at night and a little bit of blur.  I wish I'd had aggressive
treatment sooner.  You've had a lot more done than I did, so I may be
saying things you've already tried; the bandaging contact lens
definitely sounds like something to try, and that's where I was headed
before mine simply stopped.  Good luck, I know how horrible those
things are and how much they hurt.