Cornea Surgery

Cornea and external diseases can affect people of all ages. We can help. Our team of more than 60 nationally recognized experts offers progressive eye care.

Your doctor may recommend surgery, or cornea transplant, for your cornea condition. In addition, surgery is often an option for Fuchs dystrophy, keratoconus and corneal ulcers that don’t respond to medical treatment.

While cornea transplant surgery is one of the most common and well-known procedures for serious corneal damage, there are several other types of cornea surgeries that don’t involve replacing the cornea with donor tissue. Here are a few examples of non-transplant surgeries:

• Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK): Uses a laser to remove scar tissue or smooth the surface of the cornea.
• Corneal cross-linking: Strengthens the cornea in conditions like keratoconus by using UV light and special eye drops—no tissue is replaced.
• Corneal implants (like Intacs and CAIRS): Tiny devices or donor corneal tissue are inserted into the cornea to reshape it and improve vision.
• Pterygium removal: A growth on the cornea is surgically removed—no donor tissue needed.
• Refractive surgery (like LASIK or PRK): A procedure that utilizes the most advanced laser technologies to change the shape of your cornea in order to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

Each surgery is tailored to the specific condition affecting the cornea.

Cornea transplant is generally an outpatient procedure. Someone will have to drive you home afterward.

Your doctor may give you a sedative to help you relax or anesthesia to go to sleep. You may also get numbing medication for your eye and eye drops that have antibiotics.

To keep your eye open during the procedure, your doctor uses a special device. They remove your diseased cornea and replace it with tissue from the donor cornea.

Your doctor attaches the donor cornea to your eye with tiny stitches or with an air or gas bubble. There are different types of transplant surgeries. These include:

• Anterior lamellar keratoplasty: This replaces the outer and middle layers of your cornea with a donor cornea. It’s called a partial-thickness corneal transplant.

• Endothelial keratoplasty: This removes the deepest layer of your cornea and replaces it with a donor cornea.

• Keratoprosthesis: Your doctor replaces your cornea with an artificial cornea (not a donor cornea).

• Penetrating keratoplasty: This replaces the center of your cornea. It’s also called a full-thickness corneal transplant.

Your doctor will discuss your best option depending on your condition.

Typically, your eye will be red, irritated and sensitive to light for a few days. You’ll wear an eye patch to protect your eye. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers.

You also will get prescription eye drops or ointments to help your eye heal. For some procedures, you may have to lie on your back for a few days to help the new tissue stay in place.

Usually, you’ll see your doctor for a follow-up visit one to two days after surgery. Your doctor may recommend that you wear eyeglasses or protective eyewear for some time.

If you had stitches, you may have to get them removed later.

It can take several months for your eye to adjust to the new cornea and for your vision to improve. Your doctor will monitor your condition and may suggest glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery.

Cornea surgeries are relatively safe, but every surgery has potential risks and complications. For cornea surgery, these include: A rare complication of cornea transplant is rejection. This is when your immune system attacks the donor cornea. If this happens, see your doctor right away. It often can be managed with medicines, but you may need another cornea transplant.