Cornea Transplant

A cornea transplant, or keratoplasty, is an operation that replaces all or part of a damaged cornea with healthy tissue from a donor. The cornea is the clear, curved part at the front of the eye that helps us see clearly. Many things can impact the cornea, like keratoconus (which makes the cornea thin and stick out), corneal ulcers, scars from infections, and problems from past eye surgeries. There are different kinds of cornea transplants: – Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK): This type involves replacing the whole cornea with a cornea from a donor. Lamellar Keratoplasty: This surgery only replaces the damaged layers of the cornea. It can include either the deeper layers (called deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty or DALK) or the surface layers (called anterior lamellar keratoplasty or ALK). Endothelial Keratoplasty (EK) focuses on the deepest layer of the cornea. This type has become more popular because it is less painful and people heal faster. It includes two types of eye surgery: DSAEK and DMEK. The surgery can be done using either local or general anesthesia, based on how big the transplant is and what the patient needs. Recovery means wearing an eye patch at first and using eye drops to help heal and stop infections. The healing process can take a few months, and during this time, patients need to stay away from activities that could harm their eye. Cornea transplants usually work well, especially for problems that aren’t caused by active infections. After surgery, it’s very important to watch for problems like rejection, which happens when the body’s immune system attacks the new cornea. Signs of rejection are things like redness, pain, and blurry vision. It’s important to get treatment right away to help save the graft.

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