When is a Corneal Transplant Necessary?
Damage to your cornea can negatively affect your vision as well as cause pain and irritation, and while surgery is not always the first line of defense, it can be a useful tool to relieve pain and restore your vision –– but exactly when is a corneal transplant necessary?
Cornea damage negatively affects your eyes’ ability to filter and focus light, resulting in blurred vision and intense glare. There are many reasons why your cornea could be damaged, ranging all the way from a simple infection to a degenerative condition, some of which can be treated with things like antibiotics or corrective eyewear. Corneal transplants are often necessary when glasses or contact lenses cannot restore your vision fully, or if infected tissue needs to be removed.
What is a corneal transplant?
A corneal transplant is the surgical removal and replacement of the damaged cornea with new, donated tissue. There are a few types of corneal transplantation:
- Penetrating keratoplasty: Also known as full-thickness corneal transplant, replaces all the layers of tissue of your cornea (usually in a small area). This is often performed to treat severe cornea damage.
- Lamellar keratoplasty: Also known as partial thickness corneal transplant, involves the replacement of only the outer and middle layers of your cornea. This less invasive procedure offers a speedier recovery and is often recommended for those who do not have severe damage or scarring.
- Endothelial keratoplasty: An inner layer corneal transplant, is usually only recommended to combat Fuchs’ dystrophy and other rarer medical conditions; this involves the replacement of only the innermost layer of your cornea.
Your ophthalmologist will recommend which surgery is right for you based on your specific needs. The surgery itself is an outpatient procedure that generally takes under two hours.
Top reasons why a cornea transplant may be needed
So, what conditions require corneal transplant? Not all corneal problems indicate a need for surgical intervention, but these conditions could indicate the need for a transplant:
- Scarring left behind by infection: people who wear contact lenses are at a higher risk for infection because of both the need for constant lens cleaning and changing and the increased physical contact with the cornea.
- Keratoconus: a condition that causes irregular corneal shape and thinning of the corneas.
- Keratitis: this common but painful inflammation of the cornea can often lead to swelling and infection. Keratitis can be caused by a number of things including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
- Fuchs’ dystrophy: a chronic medical condition that causes the innermost (endothelial) layer of the cornea to deteriorate. This corneal disease accelerates with age, initially presenting itself as a blurriness that clears up throughout the day, but eventually manifests in persistent hazy vision and even corneal blisters.
- Corneal damage from previous eye surgeries
- Corneal damage from trichiasis, a condition wherein eyelashes grow inward
Infections can spring up from anything as innocuous as a small corneal scratch. Make sure you know your scratched cornea symptoms so that you can get treatment before a minor problem turns into a major one.
Corneal transplant recovery
During a transplant the cornea is, to some extent, fully removed (unlike LASIK, which requires just the healing of the corneal flap), so recovery time will vary greatly in correspondence with the type of transplant performed. The less invasive the procedure the quicker the recovery time; a patient can recover from endothelial keratoplasty in just a few weeks while penetrating keratoplasty takes much longer.
Full thickness corneal transplant recovery can take up to a year or longer. You will be able to return to normal activities much sooner – usually within a few weeks – but your eye will take some time to accept its new cornea. You will be prescribed steroid eye drops as well as other necessary medications to help mitigate infection and discomfort. As with any other eye surgery, there are a few things to avoid doing until your doctor gives you the go-ahead, such as driving, exercising, and swimming.
What risks come with corneal transplants?
Corneal transplants, while generally safe and effective, present the possibility of rejection of the graft. This happens because your body’s immune system believes the donated tissue to be a foreign substance and attempts to destroy it. Organ rejection, if detected early enough, is often reversible.
Consummate communication with your doctor during your recovery can help ease your recovery and might even save your new cornea. Here are some signs that your body might be rejecting the graft:
- Excessive pain and irritation
- Blurred or clouded vision
- Light sensitivity
- Red eyes
- Bleeding
Risks, while inherent in any surgical procedure, are a major reason to work with a doctor that you can trust.
Think You May Need a Corneal Transplant? Speak to an Expert at Eye Center of Texas.
When is a corneal transplant necessary? There are a multitude of reasons why your ophthalmologist would recommend a corneal transplant as the best course of action to either relieve pain or correct vision, but only they can tell you.
Our surgeons at Eye Center of Texas, like cornea specialist Dr. Yasir Ahmed, are at the forefront of surgical and clinical techniques, all in service of giving you the safest and quickest route to comfortable, clear vision.
If you are wondering who is a candidate for corneal transplant call us at 713-797-1010 or request an appointment online to find out what solutions will work for your vision.
More Helpful Articles by Eye Center of Texas:
Related Articles
Is Corneal Transplant Surgery Painful?
If you’re considering a corneal transplant, you may be wondering, is corneal transplant surgery painful? Are you awake for a corneal transplant? And, how long does it take to recover from a corneal transplant?
Before the procedure, your doctor will offer you either local or general anesthesia depending on your comfortability with the procedure. During the procedure, you will not be able to feel any pain but you may experience some slight discomfort during recovery.
Eye Center of Texas is a premier eye care practice with several locations throughout Texas. In this article, our cataract surgeons are going to walk you through what type of pain to expect during the procedure and throughout your recovery.
Are cornea transplants painful?
The cornea transplant procedure itself is not painful. Your surgeon will use a local anesthetic to numb your eye and may give you general anesthesia or a sedative if you’re feeling anxious about the transplant. Even if you choose to be left awake for the procedure, the anesthesia will generally prevent you from feeling any pain.
You may feel discomfort for the next couple of days following the procedure but you shouldn’t experience any severe pain. If you do, please don’t hesitate to call your surgeon. They’ll be able to check for any infections and can give you advice on how to help mitigate the pain.
What is a cornea transplant?
Your cornea is the clear layer of tissue on the outside of your eye that filters light and helps you see clearly. If it gets damaged or is diseased, your surgeon can remove the damaged part of the cornea and replace it with donated cornea tissue through a procedure called a cornea transplant, or keratoplasty. There are various types of corneal transplant options including partial cornea transplant and full-thickness corneal transplant.
What is the success rate of a corneal transplant?
The success rate of the transplanted cornea is 91% in the first year. Most patients will experience clear vision in anywhere from a week to a year, depending on the patient and their unique healing process. Common causes for lesser outcomes can include organ rejection, glaucoma, or retina problems.
Why would someone need a cornea transplant?
Why would someone need a cornea transplant? You may need a cornea transplant if you’ve experienced the following eye problems:
- Corneal swelling
- Cornea scarring
- Scratched cornea
- Thinning, clouding, or swelling of the cornea
- Keratoconus
- Fuchs’ dystrophy
- Infections
If you aren’t sure whether or not you’re a good candidate for a cornea transplant, schedule an appointment with your doctor. They can help recommend the right treatment for your needs.
How long does it take to recover from a corneal transplant?
Full recovery time from a corneal transplant is dependent on the individual. Generally speaking, it can take up to a year to fully recover from a corneal transplant. However, most people are back to their normal routines within one to two weeks with the exception of heavy lifting. It’s advised to wait at least four weeks before doing any heavy lifting, or longer if your doctor advises it.
Please keep in mind that cornea transplants do not necessarily restore full vision and you may still need corrective devices like glasses or contact lenses after the procedure. That said, there are several corrective procedures that you can ask your surgeon about following a corneal transplant. For instance, you may be a good LASIK eye surgery candidate, can consider PRK, or ask about Visian Toric ICL.
Eye Center of Texas offers corneal transplants in locations throughout Texas
To answer the question, is corneal transplant surgery painful? Neither the procedure itself nor the recovery should cause patients any serious pain.
If you have any questions about anesthesia options for the procedure, recovery, or success rates, Eye Center of Texas is here for you. We have decades of combined experience treating eye diseases and vision issues with the safest and most advanced surgical techniques.
To learn more about corneal transplant surgery, contact us today at 713-797-1010 or request an appointment online.
More Helpful Articles by Eye Center of Texas:
- Who is a Candidate for Corneal Transplant?
- Cornea Transplant Recovery in Houston: A Guide
- What Causes Eye Flashes and Floaters?
- Laser Treatment for Eye Floaters Relief
- Can You Reverse Presbyopia?
Related Articles
Who is a Candidate for Corneal Transplant?
Who is a candidate for corneal transplant? While corneal transplant surgery isn’t the right option for everybody, it is one of the most common and successful forms of transplant surgeries. If you’re looking to restore your vision after corneal disease or a traumatic injury, you may be a good candidate. The experts at Eye Center of Texas are here to walk you through the techniques and risks of a corneal transplant in Houston.
Why would someone need a cornea transplant?
A corneal transplant replaces the diseased or scarred part of your cornea with healthy tissue from a donor. It is generally recommended for someone who has a corneal disease that cannot be treated with a less-invasive treatment — like glasses or medication — or for someone whose cornea has suffered irreversible damage.
If you have or had any of the following conditions, you may qualify for a transplant:
- Scarring from infection (eye herpes or fungal keratitis)
- Scarring from eyelashes rubbing against the cornea (trichiasis)
- Inherited eye diseases (Fuchs’ dystrophy)
- Corneal ulcers or “sores”
- Corneal abrasion
- Corneal rejection from first surgery
- Advanced keratoconus
- Rare complications from LASIK surgery
- Chemical burns of the cornea
- Excessive corneal swelling
- Organ rejection from previous corneal transplant
- Cataract surgical complications
Keep reading: Cornea damage symptoms
Common Corneal Transplant Surgical Techniques
Full Thickness Corneal Transplant
In a full thickness corneal transplant, also known as a penetrating keratoplasty (PK), the surgeon will replace all of the layers of the cornea with tissue from a donor. The procedure only takes 30 to 60 minutes to perform. But since it is the most invasive, as you are replacing the entire cornea, the healing time for this procedure is longer. A full thickness corneal transplant can take up to one year to achieve full vision.
Partial Thickness Corneal Transplant (DSEK, DMEK, DALK)
Partial thickness corneal transplant surgery is exactly as it sounds. The surgeon will only replace certain layers of your cornea tissue depending on where the damaged tissue is. You’ll be able to return to low-impact activities about 1-2 weeks after surgery but your vision might still be blurry.
Back Layer Corneal Transplant
This is also referred to as an endothelial keratoplasty (EK) and is a procedure done to remove and replace unhealthy tissue from the back layer of the cornea. Full recovery for a back layer corneal transplant is about 4-6 months.
What is the success rate of a corneal transplant?
As mentioned, corneal transplant surgery is one of the most successful of all tissue transplants in America with the success rate landing at 90% in the first year. Corneal transplants can last around 10 years before needing to be replaced but may fail earlier. If the graft does fail, a corneal transplant can be repeated. For a majority of patients, vision after corneal transplant will improve after a year of healing and repeated transplants tend to yield good results.
If you are still struggling with acute vision loss after your cornea transplant has fully healed, you may be a good PRK or LASIK eye surgery candidate.
What are the risks of a cornea transplant?
Although this is a relatively safe and effective surgery, as with any surgery, there are still risks. Your ophthalmologist will walk you through which surgical technique they believe to be the best fit for your case as well as the risks and what to expect during recovery. You can lessen your risk and recovery time by following your doctor’s recommendations, avoid rubbing your eyes, and refrain from high-impact activities that could damage your cornea, including swimming.
The risks of a cornea transplant include:
- Infection
- Cataracts
- Bleeding in the eye
- Prolonged or problematic healing
- Anesthesia complications
- Refractive errors requiring glasses
- General surgical complications
- Organ tissue rejection
- Eye problems such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, detached retina, and astigmatism
Signs of organ rejection
Rejection of the donated cornea occurs when the immune system recognizes the donated tissue as foreign and begins to destroy it. It only occurs in about 18-21% of patients and your risk depends on several factors. One of which being whether you comply with your medication protocol following the transplant.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms, even one as small as “my cornea is red,” immediately. If addressed quickly, you may be able to reverse the rejection and save the transplanted cornea.
- Eye pain
- Sensitivity to light
- Red eyes
- Cloudy or hazy vision
- Infection
- Bleeding
Corneal transplant surgery at Eye Center of Texas
If you’ve decided to inquire about it after learning who is a candidate for corneal transplant and are looking for ophthalmologists in Houston, trust Eye Center of Texas. We have the best corneal transplant surgeons and are recommended by more than 300 Houston eye doctors including Dr. Yasir Ahmed who specializes in cornea surgeries. Our sub-specialty trained surgeons stay on the cutting edge of surgical and clinical procedures including corneal transplants.
To learn more about whether corneal transplant surgery is right for you, contact us today at 713-797-1010 or request an appointment online.
More Helpful Articles by Eye Center of Texas:
- What Causes Presbyopia?
- The Top Benefits of Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery
- Expectations: Your Vision After Getting Cataract Surgery in One Eye
- Your Guide on What to Expect After LASIK
- What Causes Macular Degeneration?
Related Articles
Cornea Transplant in Houston: A Guide
If you have suffered from an eye disease or have scarred corneal tissue, you may be a good candidate for a cornea transplant in Houston.
The cornea is the outermost layer of your eye. It is responsible for filtering light and accounts for 65-75% of your eye’s focusing power. Like any other part of the body, the cornea is susceptible to inflammation (called keratitis), infections, degenerations, inherited diseases like Fuchs’ dystrophy, and trauma. Depending on the severity, the damaged tissue can be replaced with either a full thickness corneal transplant (penetrating keratoplasty), partial thickness corneal transplant, or a back layer corneal transplant (endothelial keratoplasty, or EK).
Eye Center of Texas cornea subspecialty trained surgeons can help improve your vision with cornea surgery. We are recommended by more than 300 Houston eye doctors and stay on the cutting-edge of surgical advancements so that you can be sure you’re always getting the most up-to-date care.
Who is a good candidate for corneal transplant?
You might be wondering who is a good candidate for corneal transplant. A cornea transplant is an option for anyone with a damaged cornea accompanied by vision impairment that cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. The following conditions put you at risk for cornea failure and may require a cornea transplant to relieve the symptoms:
- Scarring from infection (eye herpes or fungal keratitis)
- Scarring from eyelashes rubbing against the cornea (trichiasis)
- Inherited eye diseases (Fuchs’ dystrophy)
- Corneal ulcers or “sores”
- Corneal abrasion symptoms
- Advanced keratoconus
- Rare complications from LASIK surgery
- Chemical burns of the cornea
- Excessive corneal swelling
- Organ rejection from previous corneal transplant
- Cataract surgical complications
Continue reading: what to do for corneal abrasion.
Common Types of Corneal Transplant Surgery Options
Full Thickness Corneal Transplant
A penetrating keratoplasty (PK) replaces all of the layers of your cornea. Your ophthalmologist may suggest this procedure if you have suffered a severe cornea injury, bulging, and/or scarring.
Partial Thickness Corneal Transplant
Also known as a deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), during a partial thickness cornea transplant, the surgeon replaces only the outer and middle layers of your cornea. This is a better option for individuals whose scarring does not reach the inner layers. Since the procedure doesn’t open up your eye, the healing time and chance for infection or eye damage decreases.
Endothelial Keratoplasty (EK)
Doctors usually opt for a back layer corneal transplant if the patient suffers from Fuchs’ dystrophy or other medical conditions. There are two types of endothelial keratoplasty: Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) and Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). An EK is for patients with damage only to the inner layer.
Recovery After a Corneal Transplant
The recovery time for a cornea transplant will depend on what type of transplant you have. PKs take the longest to recover since they require a full transplant. You will generally get to enjoy the final results after 18 months. DALKs require less recovery time than PKs. And EKs can sometimes heal between a few weeks and a couple of months.
You can speed up recovery time by taking good care of your eyes and avoiding activities that could scratch or damage your corneas including contact sports and rubbing your eyes.
Cornea Transplant Risk and Rejection
Although it’s only an issue in about 18-21% of cornea transplants, as with any transplant surgeries, there is a possibility for organ rejection. This happens when your immune system believes that the new tissue is a foreign body and tries to destroy it. Keep watch for the following symptoms that your body is rejecting the donor tissue:
- Eye pain
- Sensitivity to light
- Red eyes
- Cloudy or hazy vision
- Infection
- Bleeding
If you notice any of these symptoms, even one as seemingly small as noticing that my cornea is red, call Eye Center of Texas immediately. Your ophthalmologist may be able to use medication to stop your body from rejecting the transplanted cornea.
Other risks include infection and various eye problems such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, detached retina, and astigmatism.
Commonly asked questions
What is the success rate of a cornea transplant?
The success rate of a cornea transplant in favorable patients is as high as 90% in the first year. The three most common causes for graft failure include organ rejection, infection, and glaucoma.
Technology is improving everyday and with that, newer techniques are coming out that result in better visual outcomes, lower rates of organ rejection, and faster healing time. Our team of surgeons at Eye Center of Texas stay up-to-date on all micro-surgical procedure advancements so that we are always offering you the safest, most advanced surgical techniques.
How long does a corneal transplant last?
A corneal transplant can last up to 10 years without complications. If the graft does fail or you do start to experience some complications, corneal transplant surgery can be repeated.
How much is a cornea transplant in Texas?
Cost should never be a barrier to getting you the eye care you need. Speak with our doctors and staff to find a solution that works for your financial needs.
Trust Eye Center of Texas with your cornea transplant in Houston.
When it comes to choosing a surgeon for your cornea transplant in Houston, who you pick matters. Eye Center of Texas is a results-driven team of Texas eye specialists made up of some of the best-trained surgeons in Houston. Our doctors have years of experience providing the highest level of care for cornea transplant patients including Dr. Yasir Ahmed who is a top cornea specialist in our region.
Contact us today at 713-797-1010 or request an appointment online for the best cornea transplant Houston has to offer.
More Helpful Articles by Eye Center of Texas:
- What Causes Presbyopia?
- The Top Benefits of Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery
- Ophthalmologists in Houston You Can Trust
- Expectations: Your Vision After Getting Cataract Surgery in One Eye
- Your Guide on What to Expect After LASIK
Related Articles
Financing Options Available
Apply today to find a financing option that meets your needs.
Our Locations
Houston/Bellaire
6565 W. Loop S., Suite 650Bellaire, TX 77401
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
713-357-7276
LASIK/Near Vision:
Office: 713-395-1515
Fax: 713-357-7278
Pasadena
4415 Crenshaw RoadPasadena, TX 77504
Medical Office:
281-977-8800
Medical Fax:
281-977-8877
Sugar Land
15400 S.W. Freeway, Suite 301Sugar Land, TX 77478
Medical Office:
281-277-1010
Medical Fax:
281-277-4504
Clear Lake
455 E. Medical Center Blvd., Suite 110Webster, TX 77598
Medical Office:
281-332-1397
Medical Fax:
281-282-9152
Katy
Greenhouse Medical Plaza2051 Greenhouse Road, Suite 110
Houston, TX 77084
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
713-357-7276
The Woodlands/Conroe
100 Medical Center Blvd., Suite 118Conroe, TX 77304
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
936-647-1620
