| Corneal
Transplants
Physicians
at The Eye Clinic specialize in the treatment of diseases
and injuries to the cornea, including cornea transplants,
if required. The cornea is the clear front of the eye that
transmits light to the interior of the eye, allowing us to
see clearly. Corneal injury, disease or hereditary
conditions can cause clouding, distortion and scarring.
These conditions reduce vision and even lead to blindness.
A corneal transplant is needed if vision cannot be
corrected satisfactorily or if the condition affecting the
cornea is causing severe pain that cannot be relieved
through other treatment. Conditions that may require a
corneal transplant include:
- Corneal failure
after other eye surgery
- Keratoconus, a
steep curving of the cornea
- Hereditary
corneal failure
- Scarring after
infections
- Scarring after
injury
- Rejection after
first corneal transplant
Corneal
transplantation (keratoplasty) is the most common and most
successful of all tissue transplants. Over 40,000 corneal
transplants are done each year in the United States. Once
you and your physician decide you need a corneal
transplant, your name is put on a list at the eye bank.
Usually the wait is short. Once the tissue becomes
available, the surgery is performed on an outpatient basis
in a hospital. When you arrive for surgery, you will be
given eye drops and medication to help you relax. The
operation is painless, and anesthesia is either local or
general, depending on your age, medical condition and eye
disease. During the procedure, the diseased or injured
cornea is carefully removed from the eye and the clear
donor cornea is sewn into place. Most patients are allowed
to go home shortly after the surgery with a shield over
the eye and prescription eye drips. A post-operative exam
will be scheduled for the following day and the stitches
will remain in your eye for several months before your
physician removes them.
Return of best
vision after corneal transplant surgery may take up to a
year after the operation, depending on the rate of healing
and the health of the rest of the eye. As in any kind of
transplant, rejection of the donated tissue can take
place. Most rejections, if treated promptly, can be
stopped. Warning signs of rejection are persistent
discomfort, light sensitivity, redness or change in
vision. Any of these symptoms should be reported to your
ophthalmologist immediately.
Fortunately, the
success rate for corneal transplants is high, with 70 to
95% of these transplants taking place without
complications. This success is ultimately the result of
the hundreds of thousands of generous donors and their
families who have donated corneal tissue so that others
may see. |
