The concept of utilizing an artificial cornea originates from the 18th century when it was first proposed to substitute a piece of glass to substitute for the scarred cornea. When a natural cornea transplant is not a good option more and more surgeons are recommending the keratoprosthesis to restore vision. Cornea transplants may fail due to rejection, and may yield poor results in certain cases. This method involves suturing natural cornea tissue from a donor eye to replace the scarred one or replacing a specific layer of the cornea using one of several sutureless procedures. Photrexa® solutions are the first and only therapeutic products for corneal cross-linking which have been FDA approved to treat progressive keratoconus, and we offer them to patients in our practice.For many patients traditional cornea transplants work well in eliminating blindness due to cornea disease. Read more here.Ĭorneal cross-linking stiffens corneas that have been weakened by disease. The safety and effectiveness of corneal cross-linking has not been established in pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, patients who are less than 14 years of age and patients 65 years of age or older. Corneal Cross-LinkingĬorneal cross-linking is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that combines the use of Photrexa® Viscous (riboflavin 5’-phosphate in 20% dextran ophthalmic solution), Photrexa® (riboflavin 5’-phosphate ophthalmic solution) and the KXL® system for the treatment of progressive keratoconus. It may take this long for vision to be restored to satisfactory levels as well requiring many patients to wear glasses or contact lenses after this procedure. The new cornea is sutured into place, and then stitches are usually removed after a year. Penetrating Keratoplasty (pKP) SurgeryĪn improperly curved cornea may be corrected surgically for patients whose cornea curvature is too steep or flat to be treated with other methods, or when extensive damage has occurred due to disease, infection or surgery.Ĭorneal transplantation, also known as keratoplasty, may be performed in patients that have the following conditions:Ĭornea transplant involves replacing the entire thickness of the cornea with a donor graft. The surgeon then injects an air bubble underneath the cornea, making sure it is centered on the eye, and dilates the pupil with eye drops. When it is unfolded, a second stitch is made to close the wound and anchor the new cornea in place. Sometimes the new cornea unfolds on its own other times, the surgeon unfolds it him/herself. Then the donor cornea is folded into a "taco" shape and placed on the eye. Next, the surgeon scores the damaged section of the cornea and removes the membrane away from the eye. This mark serves two purposes: it helps the surgeon determine what size the transplant should be, and also it outlines the area of the patient's cornea that needs to be removed. Short for Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, DSEK offers clear post-operative vision and short recovery time to patients in need of new corneas.ĭuring the procedure, the surgeon makes a mark in the surface of the patient's cornea with a trephine (an instrument used to cut circular sections of tissue). DSEK SurgeryĭSEK is the latest technique in corneal transplantation. The new cornea carries little risk of rejection and can last for many years. During the procedure, the cornea is replaced with one from a human donor. When the cornea becomes cloudy or misshapen from injury, infection or disease, transplantation may be recommended to replace it.Ĭorneal transplants are usually performed with local anesthesia so there is no pain. For clear vision to occur, the cornea must have the correct shape and clarity to focus incoming light rays precisely on the retina at the back of the eye. The cornea is the clear covering of the front of the eye which bends, or refracts, light rays as they enter the eye. Cornea Transplant Surgery in California Corneal Transplant Surgery
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