What is a Corneal Transplant?
View Video
The cornea plays an important role in focusing light so you can see. A clear, smooth, and healthy cornea is essential for good vision. When your cornea is damaged, it can’t focus light properly. This leads to blurry vision and glare.
Also called keratoplasty, a corneal transplant is a surgical procedure to replace damaged or diseased corneal tissue with healthy tissue from a human donor.
At Rocky Mountain Eye Center, Dr. Nedrud specializes in treating corneal disease, such as keratoconus, with advanced transplant techniques.
Why Would I Need a Corneal Transplant?
If damage to your cornea can’t heal or be repaired, you may be a candidate for a corneal transplant. Dr. Nedrud performs corneal transplants to treat numerous eye conditions, such as:
- Keratoconus, which causes your cornea to bulge outward
- Fuchs’ dystrophy, in which the inner layer of corneal cells doesn’t function properly
- Eye infections that cause scarring or injury on the cornea
- Corneal damage from previous eye surgery
- Recurrent scratches or abrasions on the cornea
In addition to restoring vision, a corneal transplant may relieve pain or other symptoms of corneal disease.
What are the Different Types of Corneal Transplant Procedures?
At Rocky Mountain Eye Center, Dr. Nedrud offers a variety of corneal transplant surgical techniques. Depending on your unique condition, he may recommend:
- Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK): A DALK, or partial thickness corneal transplant, replaces only the front and middle layers of the cornea. Dr. Nedrud typically uses this procedure to treat keratoconus.
- Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK): The endothelium is the innermost layer of your cornea. A thin layer of tissue called the Descemet membrane protects the endothelium. Endothelial keratoplasty involves removing damaged tissue from these layers and replacing it with donor tissue. In a DSAEK procedure, Dr. Nedrud replaces about one-third of your cornea with donor tissue.
- Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Intacs® (DMEK): This procedure is similar to DSAEK in that it removes damaged or diseased endothelium and Descemet membrane. The difference is that DMEK involves a much thinner layer of tissue. DMEK is a more challenging procedure, but it involves a faster recovery time.
To learn more about your options for corneal transplant surgery, call Rocky Mountain Eye Center or book an appointment online today.
