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John D. Hofbauer, MD
and Laura E. Fox, MD |
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The cornea is the clear "window" on the front of the eye. It also performs an important part in focusing your vision. When the cornea becomes damaged through disease or injury, the vision can be substantially impaired. The cornea can sometimes swell after previous eye surgery, resulting in painful blisters. After careful evaluation, Dr. Hofbauer may recommend a corneal transplant. This is determined by a variety of factors, including the health of the other parts of your eye. Corneal transplant is one of the most common and effective of all transplant surgeries. A donor cornea is obtained from a tissue bank, and used to replace the damaged cornea. The new cornea is stitched into place with very thin sutures. Your eye is made numb during the procedure, and you will be given medication by I.V. to make you relaxed and comfortable. In some cases the surgery will be done under general anesthesia. In either case, you will not have any discomfort during the operation. After your surgery, your eye will be patched. Dr. Hofbauer will remove it the next day. At that point you will need to start taking eye drops to prevent infection and rejection. You will take them quite frequently at first, every two hours while awake. Dr. Hofbauer will gradually reduce the frequency of the drops. You may have to take them for several months or even longer. Your vision will be blurry at first, because of the stitches and post-operative swelling. The stitches will be removed gradually over the next few months. Most people are able to return to work or school about a week after surgery. You will need to take care of the new cornea by using the medications prescribed by Dr. Hofbauer, and by protecting it from injury. Safety glasses are recommended for sports. During your recovery, it is vital that you take all medications as directed, keep your follow-up appointments with Dr. Hofbauer, and pay attention to your eye. Any change such as increased redness, discharge, sensitivity to light, pain, or blurring should be reported to the office right away. This could be an indication of transplant rejection. This can often be reversed if caught soon enough and treated promptly with anti-rejection eye drops. Healing from corneal transplant surgery takes about a year. During that time, Dr. Hofbauer may prescribe glasses, contact lenses, or minor office procedures to improve the vision. Even after your cornea has healed, you'll need regular ophthalmology exams for the rest of your life. With good care, you can enjoy your restored vision for many years. Laura E. Fox, MD
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