If you have to undergo a Corneal transplant and you are looking for some knowledge about it, you have landed at the right place. In this blog, we’ll discuss things you need to know about grafting cornea and restoring your vision. For more information about cornea treatment or any other eye diseases, we recommend you visit the best eye hospital in Mumbai.
What is a corneal transplant?
A corneal transplant is a medical procedure where the eye surgeon replaces the damaged part of the cornea. The surgeon removes the diseased tissue of the cornea and replaces it with the healthy tissue of a deceased human donor. In most cases, this surgery restores clear eyesight and enhances the quality of life.
Why does a patient need a corneal transplant?
The cornea is the clear front layer of the eye. It is a dome-shaped, outer surface that covers the iris, pupil, and the fluid-filled chamber at the front part of the eye. The cornea has five layers of specialized cells and is a transparent part. It allows light to pass through and the curved shape refracts the light, thereby letting you focus on the objects and see them clearly.
However, there are certain injuries or conditions that can damage the cornea or maybe cloud it, thereby blurring your vision significantly. In such cases, a corneal grafting at the best Indian best eye hospital can help you get a healthy vision. However, some issues that obstruct the ability of the cornea to refract light adequately are:
- Lacerations or corneal tears
- Too much thinning of the cornea
- Fluid buildup behind the cornea
- Swelling due to any infection
- Abnormal bulging of the cornea
- Painful ulcers in the cornea
- Problems due to previous eye surgery
So the eye specialist first prescribes eye drops, custom-made lenses for keratoconus, or other related treatments to treat corneal disorders. And when these treatment efforts fail to show adequate improvements in the eyesight, the eye specialist might recommend a corneal transplant.
What are the symptoms that indicate you might need a corneal transplant?
Damaged cornea displays the following symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Cloudy vision
- Pain in the eyes etc.
So if you notice such symptoms, we recommend you visit the nearest eye specialist without making any delay. The expert will then prescribe some medications. And if these mediations don’t work, he might suggest you undergo a corneal transplantation procedure. You can opt for the best cornea treatment with the leading cornea specialist in Mumbai at Arohi Eye Hospital.
Does a corneal transplant improve vision?
Most patients who undergo corneal transplantation surgery, experience a partial restoration of their vision. The entire healing and restoration might take a few weeks up to a year to complete. Before getting healed entirely, there is a possibility that your eyesight gets a little worse. But it will be temporary, and you’ll get renewed vision within a few days. You might need to go for a follow-up checkup with your eye doctor at a regular interval to ensure the transplantation procedure is successful. However, once you are done with the transplantation, the tissue lasts a lifetime.
What are the procedures before the corneal transplantation?
Before you undergo a transplant, your cornea specialist will do the following:
- A thorough eye test: Your eye specialist will run a thorough eye exam to check if there are any complicated issues.
- Eye measurements: By checking your eye measurements, your eye specialist will determine the size of the donor cornea you might need for the surgery.
- Medical history check and review: Your eye doctor might suggest you stop some medication that you are taking, right before or after the transplantation.
- Addressing other eye problems: Some eye problems like inflammation or infection can minimize your chances of getting a successful corneal transplant done. So your doctor might address those problems before carrying out a corneal transplantation procedure.
How to take care of your eyes after cornea transplantation?
Taking care of your eyes after the transplantation is done is especially important to get the most out of the procedure. For that, you have to do the following:
- Wear proper eye protection after the surgery
- Take medications at a regular interval as per the prescription
- Visit your eye specialist for prescribed follow-up exams
- Avoid any kind of injury in your eyes and lie on your back
However, you can opt for a complete eye exam at the top eye hospital in Mumbai before you undergo a corneal transplantation procedure for your eyes. Arohi Eye Hospital has expert eye doctors and advanced facilities for almost all kinds of eye diseases. So get in touch with us for any eye-related issues.
Dr. Shradha Goel
Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.