Corneal transplant is a boon to those patients with poor eyesight, suffering from excruciating pain, and damage caused by severe infection.
The cornea is a clear outer layer located at the front of the eyeball. The chief function of the cornea is to focus light rays on the retina,
and the signals of visuals or pictures are then sent to the brain.
Corneal damage can make it less transparent, or its shape can change. The vision will become distorted and unclear.
What Are The Conditions That Need A Cornea Transplant?
Keratoconus is a condition that causes the cornea to change its shape. Other health conditions include:
- Fuchs Dystrophy
- Cornea thinning and tearing.
- Scarring of the cornea due to infection
- Swelling of the cornea and corneal ulcers that do not respond to the treatment
How Is Cornea Transplant Done?
There are three types of Cornea transplants:
Penetrating Keratoplasty – Full-thickness transplant
Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) – Reshaping and
replacing the outer and front layers of the cornea
Endothelial Keratoplasty – Replacement of back layers of the
cornea
The procedure is done either under general or local anesthesia
Depending on the procedure, the surgeon cuts through the
diseased cornea, places the donor cornea and sutures it to fix the new cornea. The sutures will be removed after a few days or weeks.