Corneal Transplant

What is a corneal transplant?

A corneal transplant is a treatment to remove a cloudy or diseased cornea and replace it with a healthy one. Corneas can become cloudy due to genetics, injury, or disease, which can cause blurry vision or blindness. By replacing the cornea, vision can be restored.

What are the different kinds of corneal transplants?

There are three main types of corneal transplants which Dr. Lin can perform. These include:

• Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) – a partial thickness procedure removes the outer layers of the cornea. It's a good choice for patients who have corneal scarring or keratoconus.
• Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) – a partial thickness transplant that selectively removes inner layer of the cornea. This is an excellent procedure for Fuch’s Dystrophy and Bullous Keratopathy.
• Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) – a technique that removes and replaces the entire thickness of the cornea.

What are some reasons for needing a corneal transplant?

Two of the main problems that lead to the need for a corneal transplant include keratoconus and Fuch’s dystrophy.

Keratoconus is a genetic eye disease in which the normally round, dome-shaped cornea progressively thins causing a cone-like bulge to develop.This can cause distortion and blurring of vision. In most cases, these symptoms can be treated with contact lenses. However, severe scarring or extreme thinning may require a corneal transplant.

Fuch’s dystrophy is a progressive disease affecting the cells of the cornea. These cells begin to diminish with age, leading to the corneal fluid swelling and therefore poor vision. Because this disease causes the cornea to gradually worsen over time, a transplant may be an option to regain clear vision.

Other reasons for corneal transplant include:

• LASIK complications
• Eye herpes
• Eye injuries and scars