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Cornea Replacement

Cornea Replacement

corneal transplant - things to know

Corneal eye complications, including Corneal Ulcers, Corneal Scarring, Fuchs’ Dystrophy, Keratoconus, clouding of the cornea, swelling of the cornea, and thinning of the cornea cause vision impairment. These corneal eye complications cause total vision loss as the conditions worsen.

Corneal eye complications, including Corneal Ulcers, Corneal Scarring, Fuchs’ Dystrophy, Keratoconus, clouding of the cornea, swelling of the cornea, and thinning of the cornea cause vision impairment. These corneal eye complications cause total vision loss as the conditions worsen.

who is a good candidate for a corneal transplant surgery?

If you are diagnosed with a corneal eye complication, your eye doctor may choose corneal transplantation as the treatment option, especially if the eye condition is severe, and progressing and causing vision loss at a fast rate.

In some cases of early diagnosis of corneal eye complications like Corneal Ulcer, the eye doctor [you can use eye doctor/eye specialist – but it needs to be consistent] may first recommend other treatment options like an eye drop. If the efficacy of such a treatment option is low, the eye doctor may consider corneal transplant as the next treatment option.

Also, undergoing a corneal transplant surgery may be the right option for you if your corneal eye complication causes severe, discomforting pain in the eyes.

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things to know before corneal transplant surgery

After a precise diagnosis and taking your overall health into account, the eye doctor will decide whether corneal transplantation is the best treatment option for you or not.

Before planning the surgery date, the hospital will list your name in an eye bank to wait for a suitable donor cornea. Once a donor cornea is available in the eye bank, the eye doctor will screen it for detecting any viral disease such as AIDS and hepatitis. The donor cornea can be used only if it passes the screening test. If you are taking certain medicines, the eye doctor may recommend you to stop using them prior to undergoing the surgery.

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things to know before corneal transplant surgery

Corneal transplantation is an outpatient procedure; you don’t get admitted to the hospital for undergoing the surgery. The eye surgeon will start the procedure by numbing your eyes with general anesthesia.

Depending on the type of complication and the type of corneal damage, the eye surgeon may work on the circular part of the cornea, front part of the cornea, or inner layer of the cornea.

The surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours to get completed. After the surgery is completed, the surgeon will place a shield on the operated eye to keep it safely covered. Depending on the strength/effect of the anesthesia, you may need to wait for a couple of hours at the hospital to go home safely. On the day of surgery, make sure to bring someone along with you who can help you get home safely.

things to know before corneal transplant surgery

After the surgery, the eye doctor will plan a follow-up checkup date. Make sure to visit the eye doctor for the follow-up eye check up on the exact date as instructed by the doctor. Also, the eye doctor will prescribe you certain eye drops which you must use as per the doctor’s instruction in order to speed up the healing time. Depending on the types of stitches used, the eye doctor may or may not remove them.

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here are some of the factors to consider after the surgery to ensure a speedy recovery:

  1. Use the eye drops and other medicines exactly the way your eye doctor has instructed. Failing to consistently follow the regime may slow down the recovery process.
  2. When recovering from the surgery, you may experience an itching sensation in the operated eye. Make sure to avoid rubbing the eye as doing so may increase the risk of infections.
  3. When spending time outdoors, wear a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from bright light and tiny foreign particles that can get stuck in the eyes.
  4. To know more about corneal transplantation at Disha Eye Hospitals, email us at appointments@dishaeye.org. Or call (033) 66360000