Corneal Transplant Surgery: Procedure, Types, Recovery, and Rejection

FAQs

• What is the success rate of a corneal transplant?

  The success rate of corneal transplant surgery can be as high as 70% - 90% in favorable subjects. These people often attain good visual acuity with glasses after the surgery. However, in unfavorable cases, the success rate is usually up to 10 to 20%.

• How long does it take to get well from a corneal transplant?

  Most people recover from a corneal transplant within 12 weeks. During this period, your doctor will prescribe you eye drops to help your eye heal, prevent infections, and prevent your body from rejecting donor tissue.

• Does cornea transplant change eye color?

  No. Corneal transplant surgery involves only the transparent clear cornea, and so it does not change your eye color.

• How long does a cornea transplant last?

  Corneal transplants generally last much more than ten years. Corneal transplant patients need bi-annual ophthalmic checkups to ensure the best possible eye health.

• Who needs a corneal transplant?

  Different eye conditions like corneal clouding, corneal swelling, thinning of the cornea, corneal dystrophy, corneal infection, corneal injury, etc. can damage your cornea. Corneal transplant is recommended to such people. If you are experiencing blurry vision due to a damaged cornea, consult with an eye specialist to diagnose the condition.

• What are the different types of transplants?

  There are three types of corneal transplants procedures, depending on the layer of a patients cornea is damaged.

  • If both the outer and inner layers are damaged, then your entire cornea might need to be replaced.
  • If the cornea's middle and front layers are problematic, only these layers need to be replaced.
  • The third case is called endothelial keratoplasty, where only the innermost layer of the cornea is replaced.

• What are the signs of rejection?

  Sometimes your body may reject the donated cornea even after years of cornea surgery. Therefore, it is essential to detect early signs of rejection. The first signs of a corneal rejection include pain, redness, and watering of the operated eyes. Consult your eye hospital immediately if you experience these symptoms.