What is Cornea Transplant?
Posted on:1/4/2006
| A cornea transplant, also known as a corneal graft or penetrating keratoplasty, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue which has been removed from a recently deceased individual having no known diseases which might affect the viability of the donated tissue. |
The cornea is the clear part of eye in front of the iris and pupil. The surgical procedure is performed by ophthalmologists, medical doctors who specialize in eyes, and are often done on an outpatient basis.
Indications:-
Indications for corneal transplantation include the following:
1) Optical - To improve visual acuity by replacing the opaque host tissue by clear healthy donor tissue. The most common indication in this category is pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, followed by keratoconus, corneal degeneration and dystrophy, as well as scarring due to keratitis and trauma.
2) Tectonic/reconstructive - To preserve corneal anatomy and integrity in patients with stromal thinning and descemetoceles, or to reconstruct the anatomy of the eye, e.g. after corneal perforation.
3) Therapeutic - To remove inflamed corneal tissue unresponsive to treatment by antibiotics or anti-virals.
4) Cosmetic - To improve the appearance of patients with corneal scars that have given a whitish or opaque hue to the cornea.
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