Corneal Transplant

The cornea is the clear front window of the eye that pushes light to the interior of the eye. This is what makes us see clearly. Light is refracted  through the cornea, a curved surface, onto the retina, making a clear image.

Clouding of the cornea blocks the clear passage of light to the back of the eye and can reduce vision drastically, even to blindness. Clouding can occur due to corneal injury, corneal disease, hereditary conditions. Along with clouding corneal injury and disease can be extremely painful. 

The only way to restore sight to a clouded cornea is to replace or transplant the cornea itself. Corneal transplantation, also known as keratoplasty, is the most successful of all tissue replants. The rate of success is dependant on the cause of the clouding. Transplants for degeneration after cataract surgery for for keratoconus have a high success rate where as transplants for chemical burns have lower success rates.

What is the procedure for a corneal transplant?

The eye bank provides corneal tissue necessary for the transplant, from a donor. Patients are placed on a waiting list until the tissue is available. The operation transfers the clear central part of the cornea from the donor's eye to the patient's eye. The sooner the donor cornea is used, the more successful the results of the transplant will be. When a cornea becomes available, the patient is contacted and the surgery will normally take place with 24 hours.

What happens after the procedure?

The day after surgery the patch put over the eye during surgery is removed. From this time on, sunglasses will be necessary to prevent too much glare into the eyes. You will also need to wear a small plastic shield at night to protect your eye while sleeping. For around 2 weeks after surgery, your eye will most likely be red and watery.

Post-Operation?

Regular checkups are necessary after surgery. Post-operative visits are normally scheduled for one week, one month, and then approximately every three months after surgery. You will need to be drops in your eyes after the surgery and usage insturctions will be given on a case to case situation.

Are there any risks?

All surgeries risk the possiblity of infection and haemorrhage. With ocular microsurgery, these risks are very rare. Additionally, there is a risk of rejection from the donor cornea. If this does happen the eye may become red or painful and your vision will deteriorate. If this happens or you show any symptoms after surgery, you must seek help as quickly as possible so that your doctor can successfully fix the problem.

Do the sutures need to be removed after surgery?

Sutures do need to be removed after surgery. This is done in the office after a drop of local anaesthetic. The time for suture removal will vary depending on the eye disease, but is never before six months, and will sometimes be longer than twelve months. You will not feel the sutures as they are buried in the eye.

How quickly will my vision recover?

Vision recovery is dependant on the reason for the surgery. The cornea will have a stable shape within 8 weeks, but complete vision is not usually achieved until the sutures are removed.