CORNEA AND REFREACTIVE SURGERIES @ SRIKIRAN EYE HOSPITAL

Cornea is the transparent dome shaped surface of the eye. Corneal Transplantation is a surgical procedure where the diseased or damaged cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft). The graft is taken from a recently deceased person with no known diseases. After proper recruitment, testing and processing, the tissues are stored in an eye bank and used for surgical procedures.

 When do we do a corneal transplant?

It is done in cases like

  • corneal ulcers (infections) not responding to medical treatment
  • corneal scarring caused by infections or injury
  • swellings of cornea
  • thinning (keratoconus) or tearing of cornea
  • hereditary corneal conditions like dystrophys

Types of transplantations we do at Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology

  • Full thickness corneal Transplantation

In this procedure the entire thickness of abnormal or diseased cornea is removed and a new corneal tissue from donor is secured in place using sutures. Sutures are removed at a later visit. We do a penetrating keratoplasty to restore vision and a therapeutic keratoplasty to remove infected tissue.

  • Partial thickness corneal transplantation – Lamellar Keratoplasty

In this procedure only some layers of cornea is replaced by donor tissue

  • DALK (Deep anterior Lamellar keratoplasty) : In this only the anterior layers of cornea is replaced by donor tissue
  • DSEK / DMEK (Descemets stripping endothelial keratoplasty / Descemets membrane endothelial keratoplasty) : In this only the posterior layers of cornea is replaced by the donor tissue.

Artificial corneal transplantation (Keratoprosthesis)

It is done in patients who are not eligible for corneal transplantation from donor cornea due to various causes.

When to see a doctor after surgery

  • Immediately see a doctor if u notice eye pain, redness, loss of vision as these can be signs of rejection.

Care after surgery:

  • Proper use of medications
  • Avoid injury to eye
  • Frequent follow up eye examination