Corneal Transplant

What is Corneal Transplant?

Cornea transplant (corneal grafting) is the procedure by which a diseased cornea of the patient is replaced by the provide cornea graft or tissue. The surgery can be done in total with trenchant keratoplasty and also in section with lamellar keratoplasty. In this process, a clear healthy corneal is placed by removing the diseased opaque cornea in order to restore the lost sight by permitting the light rays to enter with the help of the clear transplanted cornea.

What is the Cornea?

An external clear covering of the eye which contains the colored pupil and the iris is described as Cornea. If there is any injure to the cornea, then it can become swollen and can influence the smoothness and its clarity. Cornea is a very capable refracting surface which is about 2/3rd part of the eye. It is very necessary part of the eye and is needed for clear vision. It becomes a clear window to look through and its clarity is required for good vision. Diseases of the cornea will start to loss of transparency, reducing the vision. The damaged functioning of the cornea can cause injury, genetic diseases, infections and malnutrition. The first line treatment comes in the form of medicine and the cornea transplant becomes a necessity for people losing almost 70 per cent of the vision in one or both the eyes.

Types of Cornea Transplants

Penetrating (full thickness) Cornea Transplant: This kind of transplant involves transplanting all the layers of the cornea from the donor.

Lamellar Cornea Transplant: In this the surgeon only replaces some of the layers of the cornea with the transplant.

Lamellar transplants are the most appropriate transplant when the disease procedure is limited to only a portion of the cornea.

Indications of a Corneal Transplant?

Vision cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses

In the case of swelling which cannot be healed by any medications.

Hereditary corneal failure, such as Fuchs’ Dystrophy

A steep curving (Keratoconus) of the cornea

Corneal failure after other eye surgery, such as cataract surgery

Injury leading to scarring

Procedure for Corneal Transplant

The surgical method of cornea transplant does not require any hospitalization and is operated under general anesthesia. The tissue is considered thoroughly before donor corneas are used for transplant. To control the continuous blinking and eye movement, an injection is discharged into the eyes of the patient. Many times a surgeon also uses eye drops to numb the eye.

The surgeon then considers the concerned area to understand the demand of the size of the donor tissue. The surgeon first removes a related shaped button part of the tissue from the patient’s damaged cornea and then places a related shaped button from the donor tissue. This button is then sutured into a proper place. At the end, the surgeon will cover the patient’s eye with a plastic shield to protect it from being rubbed.

Recovering From a Corneal Transplant

The total recovery time for a corneal transplant can be up to a year or longer

For the first several weeks, heavy exercises and lifting are prohibited

Stitches usually are removed after 3 to 17 months, depending on the health of the patient’s eye and the rate of healing

Corneal Transplant Post Operative Recovery

Be careful not to rub or press your eye

Try to avoid rubbing your eyes

Try to avoid excessive and hard exercises

Use the eye drops as prescribed

Wear eye glasses for protection

Before starting driving first confirm with your doctor

Call doctor if you have any questions about home-care instructions

Benefits of Corneal Transplant

It reduces the pain that is caused by disease or trauma

A cornea transplant restores a person’s vision

Success Rate of Cornea Transplant

Corneal transplant is observed as the extremely successful organ transplant surgery. The rate of progress depends highly on the extent and nature of damage to the eye. The rate is as high as 85% with Keratoconus, 65% with Fuchs’ Dystrophy and 60-65 % with corneal scarring.

Cost of a Corneal Transplant

India is one of the regularly visited medical tourism destinations. India is known for its healthcare infrastructure with the latest technology and facilities. Due to this reason, the cost of corneal transplants in India is very affordable as compare to other countries.