Some eye problems that are cured through corneal transplant:
- Cornea scarring because of an injury or an infection herpes or fungal keratitis.
- Corneal ulcers caused due to an infection or chemical burns
- Bulging of your cornea, a condition called keratoconus
- Thinning, clouding, or swelling of the cornea
- Fuchs' dystrophy
Risk Factors for Cornea Transplant:
Corneal transplant is a safe procedure. However, there are some risk factors associated with it:
- Eye infection and swelling of the cornea.
- Clouding of the eye's lens which is cataract.
- Increase of pressure within the eyeball called glaucoma.
- Problems with the stitches used to secure the donor cornea.
- Out of all the risks, the greatest risk for corneal transplant (keratoplasty) is the inability of the body to accept the donated tissue. In this situation, the immune system attacks the donated tissue, a process called rejection.
Signs & Symptoms of Cornea Rejection:
In some cases, your body’s immune system may mistakenly attack the donor cornea. This is called rejection, and it may require medical treatment or another cornea transplant.
Some symptoms of rejection:
- Loss of vision
- Pain
- Redness
- Sensitivity to light
- In about 10 percent of cases, corneal transplant rejection is found to occur, which is th inability of the body to accept the donated tissue.
- Eye infection and swelling of the cornea.
- Clouding of the eye's lens which is cataract.
- Increase of pressure within the eyeball called glaucoma.
- Problems with the stitches used to secure the donor cornea.
- Cornea scarring because of an injury or an infection herpes or fungal keratitis.
- Corneal ulcers caused due to an infection or chemical burns
- Bulging of your cornea, a condition called keratoconus
- Thinning, clouding, or swelling of the cornea
- Fuchs' dystrophy
Cornea Transplant Treatment
The different types of corneal transplants are:
- Full Thickness Corneal Transplant - In penetrating keratoplasty (PK), the eye surgeon replaces all the layers of your cornea. This procedure is recommended in severe cornea injury or serious bulging and scarring. The healing period is really long.
- Partial Thickness Corneal Transplant - In deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), the surgeon replaces only the thin outside and thick middle layers of your cornea. There's less chance of an eye infection and the healing is faster.
- Endothelial Keratoplasty - Most people requiring corneal transplants have a problem with the innermost layer of the cornea, the endothelium. Recovery is easier.
