Corneal Transplant Surgery- Symptoms, Types, Risks and Treatment

The outer covering or coat of the eyeball is made up of the cornea and sclera. The primary function of this coat is to protect structures within the eye. The cornea is a clear, avascular tissue that serves as a structural barrier and protects the eye from infection. It, along with the tear film, provides the eye with a proper anterior refractive surface. The cornea accounts for two-thirds of the eye's refractive power.

Light enters your eye and is refracted, or bent, by the curved edge of the cornea. This determines how well your eye can focus on objects both close up and far away. Scars can impair your vision if your cornea is damaged by disease, infection, or injury. They may distort or block light as it enters your eye. Opt for efficient treatment today with the best cornea specialist in Delhi exclusively available at The Sight Avenue.

What Is The Cornea?

Your eyes' various parts all work together to help you see. The light first passes through the cornea (the clear front layer of the eye). The cornea is a dome-shaped structure that bends light to assist the eye in focusing.

Some of this light enters the eye via a hole known as the pupil. The iris (the coloured part of the eye) regulates the amount of light that enters the pupil. The light is then passed through the lens (a clear inner part of the eye). The lens and the cornea work together to properly focus light on the retina.

When light strikes the retina (a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye), photoreceptors (special cells) convert it into electrical signals.

Corneal Diseases

Corneal disease refers to a wide range of conditions that affect the cornea, the clear outer layer of the eye.

Although the cornea can often heal itself after injury or disease, more serious conditions such as infections, degenerative diseases, and deterioration require treatment.

Symptoms Of Corneal Conditions/Diseases

Many conditions that actually impact this component of your eye are referred to as corneal disease. Infections, tissue breakdown, and other disorders inherited from your parents are examples. Most minor injuries or infections heal your cornea on their own. However, during the healing process, you may experience symptoms such as:

Pain
Vision impairment
Redness that tears
Corneal Scarring
Extreme light sensitivity

Because these symptoms are also associated with other eye problems, they may indicate a more serious problem that necessitates specialised treatment. Consult your eye doctor if you have them.

Main Types Of Corneal Conditions

Injuries - Small abrasions (scratches) on the cornea usually heal on their own. Deeper scratches or other injuries can cause corneal scarring and vision problems.
Allergies - Pollen allergies can irritate the eyes and cause allergic conjunctivitis (pink eye). This can cause your eyes to become red, itchy, and watery.
Keratitis - Keratitis is corneal inflammation (redness and swelling). Contact lens infections are the most common cause of keratitis.
Ocular Herpes - People usually get eye herpes after touching a cold sore and then touching their eyes with contaminated fingers. Once infected, the virus remains in the body indefinitely. Ocular herpes typically infects the cornea, resulting in inflammation, redness, tearing, and, in rare cases, vision loss.
Herpes Zoster
Dry Eyes - Dry eyes occur when your eyes do not produce enough tears to keep your eyes moist. This is unpleasant and may cause vision problems.

Corneal Dystrophies

Corneal dystrophies result in cloudy vision when material accumulates on the cornea. These diseases are usually passed down through families.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped front surface of your eye, thins and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape.

A cone-shaped cornea causes blurred vision and may cause light and glare sensitivity. You may be able to correct vision problems with glasses or soft contact lenses in the early stages of keratoconus. Later on, you may be required to wear rigid, gas permeable contact lenses or other types of lenses, such as scleral lenses. If your condition progresses to an advanced stage, a cornea transplant may be required.

Map-Dot-Fingerprint Dystrophy

Map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy is a corneal condition characterised by abnormal folds and reduplications of the epithelium, the cornea's outermost layer. These changes result in patterns in the cornea that resemble maps, dots, and small fingerprints.

Fuch's Dystrophy

Fuch's dystrophy is a progressive deterioration of the cornea's innermost layer, the corneal endothelium. This layer functions as a fluid pump, removing excess water from the cornea and preserving corneal clarity. As these cells deteriorate, the cornea may swell, resulting in blurred vision. Haze and small blisters on the corneal surface may appear in the advanced stages of this condition, causing pain and irritation.

Lattice Dystrophy

The presence of abnormal protein fibres throughout the stroma characterises lattice dystrophy. Although this condition can occur at any age, it is most noticeable in childhood.

Ocular herpes, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, iridocorneal endothelial syndrome, and pterygium are some of the less common diseases that can affect the cornea.

Risk Factors

Some corneal diseases, such as corneal dystrophies, run in families. However, there are precautions you can take to reduce your risk of corneal injuries and infections. Wear protective eyewear to avoid corneal injuries when you:

Play ball or puck sports such as baseball or hockey.
Do yard work, such as mowing the lawn or using a weed whacker.
Make repairs such as painting or hammering.
Make use of tools such as sanders and drills.
Use chemicals such as bleach or pesticides.

If you wear contact lenses, always clean, disinfect, and store them according to the manufacturer's instructions. This can aid in the prevention of corneal infections such as keratitis.

Treatment Of Corneal Conditions

Prescription eye drops or pills can be used to treat many corneal conditions. If your corneal disease is advanced, you may require a different treatment.

Laser therapy - To treat some corneal dystrophies and other conditions, doctors can use phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK), a type of laser treatment, to reshape the cornea, remove scar tissue, and improve vision.
Corneal Transplant Surgery - If your corneal damage cannot be repaired, doctors can remove the damaged tissue and replace it with healthy corneal tissue from a donor.
Artificial Cornea or corneal prosthetic. Doctors can replace a damaged cornea with an artificial cornea, known as a keratoprosthesis, as an alternative to corneal transplant (KPro).

Corneal transplants are the most common type of transplant surgery. At The Sight Avenue, you book an appointment with the best cornea specialist doctor in India. Stop Googling "best cornea specialist near me" and opt for consultations at The Sight Avenue for highly reliable and efficient diagnosis with treatment.