Corneal damage and its treatment

Corneal damage and its treatment

Corneal diseases represent a significant burden and are an important cause of visual disability and blindness. Often the main option for visual rehabilitation of patients with corneal lesions is the indication for keratoplasty to restore vision.

What is a cornea transplant

Corneal transplantation, also known as keratoplasty, is a surgery in which a poorly functioning cornea is replaced with a new one obtained from a donor.

How do I know if I need a cornea transplant

If the damage to the cornea is minor, a corneal transplant may not be necessary. Contact lenses or laser treatments may be used to improve vision in cases with mild corneal clouding. If the decrease in the transparency of your cornea is significant, your vision may deteriorate. Your ophthalmologist may need to treat the underlying cause of the corneal damage. If the damage is severe enough, you may need a cornea transplant to restore your vision. Conditions that may require a corneal transplant include:

- complications after cataract surgery or other eye surgery;

- corneal dystrophy;

- scarring of the cornea;

- corneal edema;

- previous trauma or injury to the eye;

- keratitis;

- keratoconus.

What types of corneal transplantation are there

Advances in corneal transplantation make it possible to replace all or part of the cornea, depending on the location of the damage. As a less invasive approach, partial corneal transplantation may have benefits including lower risk and faster recovery. Types of transplant procedures include the following:

1. Endothelial keratoplasty involves replacing the inner layer of the cornea with a healthy inner layer of donor cornea. Used for patients with endothelial dystrophy such as Fuchs' dystrophy.
2. Anterior lamellar keratoplasty involves replacing the outer layer of the cornea with the healthy outer layer of a donor cornea. Mainly used in patients with keratoconus and scarring of the uppermost layers of the cornea.

3. Penetrating keratoplasty - replacement of the entire cornea with a new healthy donor one.

4. Keratoprosthetics - replacement of the entire cornea with an artificial one. This procedure is used when the cornea is so severely damaged that it cannot be repaired with a natural donor cornea, or when a previous donor cornea transplant has failed.