A cornea transplant (keratoplasty) is a surgical procedure that involves replacing part of your cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. Your cornea is a transparent, dome-shaped surface of your eye. It is where light enters your eye and is a large part of your eye's ability to see clearly.

1. Cornea Transplant
Procedure

2. What is Cornea Transplant?
• A cornea transplant (keratoplasty) is a surgical
procedure that involves replacing part of your
cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. Your
cornea is a transparent, dome-shaped surface
of your eye. It is where light enters your eye
and is a large part of your eye's ability to see
clearly.
• A cornea transplant could restore vision,
reduce pain, and improve the appearance of a
damaged or diseased cornea.
• Most cornea transplant procedures are
successfully completed. But cornea transplant
carries a small risk of complications, like the
rejection of the donor cornea.

3. Why it is done
• A cornea transplant is most frequently used to
restore vision to a person with a damaged
cornea. A cornea transplant could also relieve
pain or other signs and symptoms related to
cornea diseases.
• A number of conditions could be treated with a
cornea transplant, including:
• A cornea that bulges outward (keratoconus)
• Fuchs' dystrophy, a hereditary condition
• Thinning or tearing of the cornea
• Cornea scarring, caused by infection or injury
• Swelling of the cornea
• Corneal ulcers not responding to medical
treatment
• Complications caused by previous eye surgery

4. Risk
• The cornea transplant is relatively safe. Still, it does carry
a small risk of severe complications, such as:
• Eye infection
• Pressure increases within the eyeball (glaucoma)
• Issues with the stitches used to secure the donor cornea
• Rejection of the donor cornea
• Bleeding
• Retinal problems, like retinal detachment or swelling

5. How you prepare
• Before cornea transplant surgery, you will undergo:
• A thorough eye examination - Your eye doctor looks for
conditions that may cause complications after surgery.
• Measurements of your eye - Your eye doctor determines
what size donor cornea you require.
• A review of all medications and supplements you are taking -
You might need to stop taking specific medications or
supplements before or after your cornea transplant.
• Treatment for other eye problems - Unrelated eye problems,
like infection or inflammation, could reduce your chances of a
successful cornea transplant. Your eye doctor will treat those
problems prior to your surgery.

6. What you can expect
During the procedure
• On the day of your cornea transplant, you will either be
given a sedative to help you relax and a local anesthetic
to numb your eye, or you will be put to sleep. No matter
what, you should not feel pain.
• The surgery is done on one eye at a time. The amount of
time spent in surgery is different and depends upon your
situation.

7. What you can expect
After the procedure
• Once your cornea transplant is completed, you could expect to:
• Receive medications - Eyedrops and, at times, oral medications
immediately after cornea transplant and during recovery will help
control infection, swelling, and pain. Eyedrops to suppress the
immune system help in preventing cornea rejections.
• Wear eye protection - Eyeshields or glasses protect your eye as it
recovers.
• Lie on your back - Depending on the type of transplant, you may
have to do this for a while after surgery to help the new tissue stay in
place.
• Avoid injury - Plan to take it easy after your cornea transplant, and
gradually work your way up to your normal activities, including
exercise. Do not rub or squeeze your eye. For the rest of your life,
you will need to take extra precautions to avoid harming your eye!

8. Results
• Most people who receive a cornea transplant will have their
vision at least partly restored. What you could expect after
your cornea transplant depends on the reason for your
surgery and your health.
• Your risk of complications and cornea rejection persists for
years after your cornea transplant. For this reason, consult
your eye doctor annually. Cornea rejection could often be
managed with medications.
• Vision correction after surgery
• Your vision may initially be worse than prior to your surgery as
your eye adjusts to the new cornea. It could take several
months for your vision to improve.

9. Results
• Once the outer layer of your cornea has healed —
several weeks to several months after surgery — your
eye doctor will work to make adjustments that could
improve your vision, such as:
• Correcting unevenness in your cornea (astigmatism) -
The stitches that keep the donor cornea in place on your
eye may cause dips and bumps in your cornea, making
your vision blurry in spots. Your doctor may correct some
of this by releasing some stitches and tightening others.
• Correcting vision problems - Refractive errors, like near-
sightedness and farsightedness, could be corrected with
glasses, contact lenses, or, in some cases, laser eye
surgery.

10. • Website : https://hillregionalhospital.com
• Address : 101 Circle Drive Hillsboro, TX 76645
• Email Id : psheldon@hillrh.com
• Phone No : 254-580-8500

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