Dhir Hospital Post Graduate Institute Of Ophthalmology

Cornea

At Dhir Hospital, we have a dedicated team of cornea specialists committed to provide you with the best possible care to protect your vision.

Overview

The cornea is like the clear front window of your eye, helping you see by focusing light. It’s crucial for clear vision, but it can affect how well you know if it gets damaged or cloudy. Glasses or contact lenses can fix minor issues, but a cornea transplant may be needed in severe cases. During a transplant, it’s like giving your eye a new clear window. A surgeon replaces the damaged cornea with a healthy one from a donor. It’s like getting a new piece of glass for your eye, improving vision and reducing problems like blurry vision. This safe and common procedure can greatly affect how well you can see.

Why It's Done

A cornea transplant surgery, done by cornea specialists, is often performed to help people see better when their cornea is damaged. It can also ease pain and symptoms linked to cornea diseases. Various conditions like a bulging cornea (keratoconus), a genetic issue called Fuchs dystrophy, thinning or tearing of the cornea, scarring from infection or injury, swelling, corneal ulcers not responding to medicine, and problems from past eye surgeries can be treated with corneal transplants.

Risks

A cornea transplant is quite safe, but there is a slight chance of serious issues, including

  • Eye infection.
  • Increased pressure inside the eyeball is known as glaucoma.
  • Stitch-related problems securing the donor cornea.
  • Rejection of the donor cornea.
  • Bleeding.
  • Retinal problems, like detachment or swelling.

Symptoms of cornea rejection

  • Changes in Vision: Noticeable differences in how you see things.
  • Eye Pain: Unusual or persistent discomfort in the operated eye.
  • Redness: Increased redness in the eye, especially around the cornea.
  • Sensitivity to Light: Greater sensitivity to light than before.
  • Decreased Vision Quality: Decline in the clarity of vision.
  • Excessive Tearing: Unexplained increase in tearing.

How you prepare

  • Meet Cornea Specialist: Schedule a consultation for a cornea transplant.
  • Eye Check-up: Thorough eye exam to check health.
  • Learn About Surgery: Attend an info session on surgery details.
  • Medical Tests: Ensure overall health for the surgery.
  • Donor Match: Match donor cornea if needed.
  • Medication Review: Adjust current medications.
  • Plan Transportation: Arrange transportation to and from surgery.
  • Post-Surgery Care: Discuss recovery plans and follow-up.
  • Emotional Prep: Talk about concerns and seek support.
  • Final Consultation: Clear any last questions before surgery.

Finding a donor cornea

Corneas for transplants come from individuals who have passed away. However, corneas from those with unknown causes of death, a history of eye surgery, eye disease, or certain contagious conditions are not used. Unlike other organ transplants, there is no need for tissue matching for cornea recipients. There is usually no lengthy waiting list for cornea transplants in the United States, as donor corneas are readily available.

Operations to transplant a portion of the cornea

A cornea transplant entails the removal of either the complete or partial thickness of a diseased cornea, substituting it with healthy donor tissue. The choice of method is determined by the cornea surgeon based on individual circumstances. These procedures include:

  1. Penetrating keratoplasty

Penetrating keratoplasty, also known as full-thickness cornea transplantation, has been used for over a century and remains a valuable procedure. During this surgery, the surgeon uses a tiny circular blade to remove the entire center of the damaged cornea. Subsequently, it is replaced with a healthy piece of donor cornea that matches the same shape. This helps restore vision and has benefited thousands of individuals each year.

  1. Endothelial keratoplasty

Endothelial keratoplasty involves two types of operations that target removing diseased tissue from the back layers of the cornea, including the endothelium and the Descemet membrane attached to it. In both procedures, donor tissue is utilized to replace the removed tissue.

The first operation, Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK), employs donor tissue to replace up to one-third of the cornea.

The second operation, Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), uses an even thinner and fragile layer of donor tissue. While more challenging than DSEK, DMEK is a commonly used procedure.

  1. Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty

Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, or partial thickness cornea transplant, is a procedure conducted when the innermost layer of your cornea is healthy. Still, damage is present in the middle and outer layers. In this surgery, your surgeon removes the affected middle and outer layers of the cornea, replacing them with healthy donor corneal tissue. This helps restore the cornea’s function and improve vision.

What can you expect

  1. During the procedure
  • Before the surgery, eye drops are administered, and you might receive relaxation medication.
  • Anaesthesia, either local or general, is used to ensure a pain-free experience.
  • The surgeon specializing in cornea transplants selects the most suitable technique based on your needs.
  • Options may include removing and replacing a circular part of your cornea with a matching donor portion, secured with stitches.
  • Alternatively, a thin layer of cells may be extracted from the front of the cornea and substituted with donor tissue, carefully stitched into place.
  • Concurrently, the specialized cornea surgeon may address any additional eye issues, such as cataracts.
  • Following the cornea transplant surgery, your eye is shielded for protection.
  • Close monitoring ensures a safe recovery from anaesthesia before you are allowed to go home.
  • Detailed instructions provided by the cornea specialist guide your at-home care after the surgery.

After the Procedure

  • Use prescribed eye drops as instructed by your ophthalmologist.
  • Refrain from pressing on or rubbing your eye.
  • Take over-the-counter pain medicine if needed, following your doctor’s recommendations.
  • Wear eyeglasses or an eye shield to safeguard your eyes.
  • Discuss with your ophthalmologist when you can resume your normal activities.
  • Depending on the transplant type, lying on your back for a period post-surgery may be advised to ensure the new donor tissue stays in place.
  • Reach out to your ophthalmologist with any concerns or questions regarding at-home care.

Results

After a cornea transplant, many individuals experience at least partial vision restoration. The post-transplant outcomes depend on your overall health and the purpose of the surgery.

Ongoing annual checkups with your eye doctor are crucial to monitor for potential complications and cornea rejection, which can persist for years. Fortunately, medications are often effective in managing cornea rejection.

Vision correction after surgery

Following cornea transplant surgery, your vision may initially worsen, requiring time for adjustment to the new cornea. The healing process of the outer corneal layer may take weeks to months, during which your cornea specialist will make necessary adjustments to enhance vision. These adjustments include correcting irregularities caused by stitches holding the donor cornea, addressing astigmatism, and managing refractive errors like near-sightedness and farsightedness. Your cornea specialist may recommend glasses, contact lenses, or, in some cases, laser eye surgery for optimal vision correction. Regular check-ups with your cornea specialist are important.

Our Related Services

Cataract & Anterior Segment

Dhir Hospital has the best Cataract & Anterior Segment in Bhiwani, Haryana with decades of experience.

Retina & ROP

At Dhir Hospital, we provide the best Retina & ROP Treatment in Bhiwani, Haryana with experienced Retina Surgeons.

Glaucoma

At Dhir Hospital, we provide the best Glaucoma Treatment in Bhiwani, Haryana with experienced Glaucoma Surgeons.

UVEITIS

At Dhir Hospital , we are committed to providing our uveitis patients with advanced quality eye care at affordable prices.

FAQ

Frequently Ask Questions.

A corneal transplant, also known as a corneal graft or keratoplasty, is a surgical procedure that involves replacing a damaged or diseased cornea with a healthy cornea from a donor. The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped tissue at the front of the eye that plays a crucial role in focusing light onto the retina for clear vision.

At Dhir Hospital in Bhiwani, Haryana, we are proud to have our own dedicated eye bank, which plays a vital role in providing corneal tissue for transplants. Dhir Hospital Eye Bank is responsible for the meticulous collection, evaluation, preservation, and distribution of corneal tissue from deceased donors. This ensures a reliable and readily available supply of high-quality donor corneas for our patients in need of corneal transplants.

By having our own eye bank, we have greater control over the quality and availability of corneal tissue, allowing us to offer timely corneal transplants to our patients in need. At Dhir Hospital, we are committed to providing the highest standard of care and ensuring the best possible outcomes for corneal transplant recipients.

The eye is a remarkable and intricate organ that allows us to perceive the world around us. Let us explain how it works:

  1. Light enters the eye through the transparent outer covering called the cornea, which acts as a protective barrier. The cornea refracts or bends the incoming light.
  2. The light then passes through the pupil, which is the adjustable opening in the center of the colored part of the eye called the iris. The iris controls the size of the pupil, regulating the amount of light that enters the eye. 
  3. Behind the pupil, the light reaches the crystalline lens. The lens further refracts the light, focusing it onto the retina. 
  4. The retina, located at the back of the eye, contains millions of specialized cells called photoreceptors. There are two types of photoreceptors: rods, which are sensitive to light and help with vision in dim lighting conditions, and cones, which are responsible for color vision and visual acuity in brighter light. 
  5. When the light reaches the retina, it triggers a chemical reaction in the photoreceptor cells. This reaction converts the light into electrical signals.
  6. The electrical signals are then transmitted through the optic nerve, a bundle of nerve fibers, to the brain. The brain processes these signals and interprets them as visual images.
  7. The brain combines the signals from both eyes to create a single, three-dimensional visual perception.

 In addition to these essential components, other structures within the eye, such as the aqueous and vitreous humor, help maintain the shape and nourishment of the eye. The muscles surrounding the eye allow for its movement and proper alignment.

Treatment options for corneal conditions vary depending on the specific condition but may include medication (such as eye drops or ointments), contact lenses, corneal transplant surgery, or other surgical interventions.