New Cornea Transplant Techniques Offer Better Results

For many people suffering from cornea damage as part of the aging process, a corneal transplant is the only hope of preventing degenerative eye diseases and possible blindness.

When your cornea becomes clouded, light does not effectively reach the retina. This can occur as a result of scarring from injury or infection, inflammation of the cornea, too much exposure to direct sunlight, or as part of the general aging process. The only way to correct a cloudy cornea is to replace it with a transplant.

Typical cornea transplants replace the entire cornea with a new one from a donor. Recently, advancements in this surgery have enabled ophthalmologists to replace only the damaged region of the cornea. This helps provide for a safer overall procedure and a quicker recovery process.

There are two new transplant options available. The Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) method is used when replacing the front corneal layers. The Descement's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasy (DSAEK) method works to replace the inner layers of the cornea.

These procedures use microsurgical dissection techniques and state-of-the-art femtosecond lasers to separate the damaged layers of the cornea from the healthy layers, so that they can be removed and replaced. Since the healthy layers are not touched during this process, they are able to remain in your eye.

The main benefits of these advancements include a lower risk of transplant rejection, better recuperation of vision, faster recovery time, and fewer complications.

If you have sustained damage to your cornea, it is important to have a skilled ophthalmologist treat your disorder before you develop permanent eye disorders. Failure to treat the problem can potentially lead to blindness.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.