Corneal Transplant Surgery
Panama City, Florida
Your cornea is like the clear front window of your eye. It focuses light onto your retina—which lies at the back of your eye. For good vision, your cornea must be crystal clear and have the proper curvature to refract the light.
Damaged Cornea
If your cornea is damaged, it may swell or scar. Any type of irregular shape can cause your cornea to scatter or distort light, resulting in a glare or blurred vision. Some causes for clouding include:
- Eye injuries that leave a dense white scar on the cornea, such as burns, wounds from a sharp object or chemical contamination
- A severe corneal infection--bacterial, viral, or fungal—that leads to scarring.
- Corneal dystrophies
- Inherited diseases or abnormal shapes
- Cataract or other eye surgery
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If your vision cannot be corrected using other procedures, or if painful swelling cannot be alleviated through medication or contact lenses, corneal transplant surgery may be necessary.
You may also need this surgery if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Corneal failure after a previous eye surgery
- Keratoconus
- Hereditary corneal failure
- Corneal dystrophies
- Scarring after infections or previous eye surgery
- Rejection after the first corneal transplant
What Happens
During corneal transplant surgery, only the clear, central part of your cornea will be replaced. An eye bank will produce the tissue from a donor. All tissue used will be screened for various diseases (hepatitis, HIV, etc.). Of all the transplant surgery being performed today, corneal transplants are the most common and have the highest success rate.
The surgery will last about two hours. A surgeon will remove your damaged cornea and replace it with the clear, donated cornea.
Recovery
The early recovery period lasts between one and three weeks. During this time, you should not rub your eyes and should avoid any external contact. Rejection of the transplanted tissue is possible. This can happen weeks or decades down the road. Pain, light sensitivity, redness, and decreasing vision are warning signs of corneal tissue rejection and indicate the need for immediate medical attention.
If you or a loved one believes you may need corneal transplant surgery, please contact the Eye Center of North Florida today. The Eye Center of North Florida offers a thorough screening and a friendly, professional atmosphere. Please call our office today and be on your way to seeing the world clearly. Nine doctors. One vision—Yours.
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