Is Your Screen Time Affecting Your Vision? 5 Telltale Signs
Looking at screens isn’t easy on your eyes. But how much screen time does it take to affect your overall eye health? Look for these five signs that your eyes are experiencing stress.
Learn How A Corneal Transplant Can Restore Your Vision and Reduce Pain
A healthy cornea, which is the protective, dome-shaped layer on the front of your eye, allows you to see clearly and keep debris out of your eye. It filters light, flushes away germs, and defends your eye from injuries. What should you do if yours no longer works properly?
At iSight Vision Care’s state-of-the-art eye care clinics in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, California, specialists Vicki Lin, MD, and Maryam Khatami, DO, perform precise corneal transplants to replace clouded and dysfunctional corneas.
Modern corneal transplant surgeries can treat a variety of corneal injuries, diseases, and age-related changes that impact your vision. Here’s everything you should know about a corneal transplant and how it can improve your eye health:
What corneal transplants treat
Several eye conditions may cause your cornea to become cloudy, which reduces your vision. Some of these conditions can cause eye pain, too, which can have a major impact on your quality of life.
If you start noticing blurry or distorted vision, you should schedule an eye exam so that the iSight Vision Care team can examine your cornea. They might recommend a corneal transplant if you have one of these conditions:
- Keratoconus — a cornea that bulges outward in a cone-like shape
- Fuchs dystrophy — a genetic and degenerative corneal disease
- Bullous keratopathy — permanent corneal swelling
- Corneal scarring or injuries
- Complications from in-office laser surgery
- Eye herpes
- Corneal ulcers that don’t improve with other treatments
These complications can affect how your cornea looks, reduce your vision, and cause pain or discomfort.
Corneal transplant techniques
A corneal transplant involves replacing your damaged or diseased cornea with a cornea from a donor, which means your new cornea comes from a real eye. Depending on the type of transplant you get, the team replaces the entire cornea or a partial thickness:
Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK)
DALK involves removing a partial thickness of a damaged or diseased cornea, leaving some of your original cornea behind. This may be your best option for corneal scarring or keratoconus.
Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK)
DSAEK also removes only a partial thickness of your natural cornea, but it’s a more suitable technique for Fuchs dystrophy or bullous keratopathy.
Penetrating keratoplasty (PK)
PK removes and replaces your cornea in its entirety, not just a partial thickness.
Benefits of a corneal transplant
No matter why you get a corneal transplant, the surgery can result in some major positive improvements. The surgery has a low risk of complications, and it can:
- Improve the clarity of your vision
- Reduce visible cloudiness in your eye
- Reduce pain from a corneal injury or disease
Not all corneal conditions and injuries are avoidable. However, you can lower your risk of ever needing a corneal transplant by not smoking, getting regular eye exams, washing your hands before touching your eyes, and wearing protective eyewear when necessary.
Get in touch to learn more
Dr. Lin and Dr. Khatami can help you decide if a corneal transplant is the right approach to treat your eye condition. Call your nearest iSight Vision Care or request an appointment online today.
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