Cornea Transplants - What Conditons May Require Corneal Transplants?
Of all transplant surgeries done today, including hearts, lungs and kidneys, corneal transplants are by far the most common and successful. Conditons that may require corneal transplants are:
· Corneal failure after other eye surgery, such as cataract surgery
· Keratoconus, a steep curving and thinning of the cornea
· Hereditary corneal failure, such as Fuchs’ dystrophy
· Scarring after infections, most frequently herpes simplex
· Failure following a first corneal transplant
· Corneal scarring following traumatic injury
Cornea Transplants - How Does This Surgery Work?
The eyelid is gently opened. Looking through a surgical microscope, the ophthalmologist measures the eye for the size of the corneal transplant. The damaged cornea is removed, and a clear donor tissue is put into place with sutures finer than a human hair.
A successful corneal transplant requires care and attention on the part of both patient and physician. Vision may continue to improve up to a year after surgery. The vast majority of people who undergo corneal transplants are happy with their improved vision.
Of course, corneal transplant surgery would not be possible without the hundreds of thousands of donors and their families who have donated corneal tissue so that others may benefit from improved vision.
Cataract Surgery - What Conditions May Require Catarct Surgery?
When a cataract forms, the lens of the eye becomes thick and cloudy. Light cannot pass through it easily. Cataracts usually develop as we age, but can also come from eye injuries, certain diseases, medications and genetic inheritance. Symptoms of possible cataracts are blurred vision, double vision, ghost images or the impression of a "film" over the eyes,problems with haloes and glare,frequent changes of eyeglass prescriptions, which may not improve vision.
Cataract Surgery - How Does This Surgery Work?
Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. In cataract surgery the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. In most cases, the focusing power of the natural lens is replaced with a permanent intraocular lens implant.
Surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis. A local anesthetic will make the operation painless. Next, under a microscope, a small incision is made into the eye. Microsurgical instruments are used to fragment and suction the cloudy lens from the eye. An acrylic intraocular lens implant is then inserted into the eye to replace the natural lens that was removed. The incision is then closed. When stitches are used, they rarely require removal. Over 95% of cataract surgeries improve vision.
