Cornea damage can impact patients in a variety of ways. It may lead to vision changes, preventing you from seeing clearly. Often, damage to the cornea alters how your eyes focus and filter light, leading to issues like blurriness or glare.
Additionally, cornea damage might cause irritation or pain in varying degrees. While some of it may be relatively mild, these symptoms may also be severe, potentially to the point of making it difficult to enjoy daily life.
Cornea damage can occur in several ways. Degenerative conditions and infections are two examples, though they aren’t the only potential causes. However, whether a surgical treatment option like a cornea transplant is wise varies. If you’re wondering what a cornea transplant is and when a cornea transplant is necessary, here’s what you need to know.
What Is a Cornea Transplant?
A cornea transplant is a surgical procedure. It involves removing the damaged cornea and replacing it with tissue from a donor.
The extent of the procedure is often determined by the amount of damage. A full-thickness corneal transplant – also called a penetrating keratoplasty – replaces every layer of the cornea, and it’s used to treat the most severe kinds of cornea damage.
Partial thickness cornea transplants (lamellar keratoplasty) involve replacing the outer and middle layers, making it a better choice for moderate damage. For those with certain medical conditions – such as Fuchs’ dystrophy – an inner layer corneal transplant (endothelial keratoplasty) may be the better choice.
Recovery times vary depending on the extent of the procedure, ranging from several weeks to a year or more for a full recovery. However, even with longer recoveries, returning to your daily activities is typically an option well before full recovery occurs.
Generally, full-thickness corneal transplants take longer to recover from than the other surgical options. Inner layer corneal transplants often have the shortest recovery, while partial thickness cornea transplants fall in the middle.
Ultimately, your eye care provider will discuss treatment options with you, including recommending the best type of corneal transplant for your situation if one is potentially necessary.
When Is a Cornea Transplant Needed?
Whether a cornea transplant is needed depends on the type of damage. Only certain forms of cornea damage may require surgery to correct, as others can be treated with less invasive options like corrective lenses.
In most cases, the situations that make a corneal transplant necessary include specific medical conditions, such as keratoconus, keratitis, or Fuchs’ dystrophy. However, damage caused by infections -if it leads to scarring – may make a patient a good candidate for a cornea transplant, as well.
At times, previous eye surgeries may have led to corneal damage, potentially to the point where a transplant is a wise choice. Similarly, patients with trichiasis – where the eyelashes grow inward – can experience damage to the cornea, which makes a corneal transplant a necessity.
Ultimately, if you’re a potential candidate for a cornea transplant, your eye care provider will discuss why they’re making the recommendation. Additionally, they’ll outline what you can expect during and after the procedure, allowing you to determine if moving forward is right for you.
Eye Care in Buffalo, NY
At ECVA, the safety and health of our patients’ eyes are our priority. If you are a potential candidate for a cornea transplant and want more information or simply haven’t seen your eye care provider in the past year, the ECVA team is here to help. Our eye care specialists in Western New York can be found at any of our four locations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Williamsville, and Orchard Park. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.
