Who Can Receive a Cornea Transplant?
The doctor makes the decision regarding who is a good candidate for any transplant surgery. In general, corneal transplants are for patients with LASIK complications, keratoconus, fungal keratitis or corneal damage through chemical burns, infection or an accident resulting in injury to the eye. If an individual experiences severe vision problems that cannot be resolved with corrective lenses, he may consider corneal transplant surgery. How Does the Cornea Transplant Procedure Work? Since you are receiving a transplant, you will need a donor cornea. You will be put on a cornea recipient list. In most cases, a donor eye is available within a week or two. A cornea transplant is an outpatient procedure, performed with local anesthesia. The surgeon uses equipment that holds the eye open, then cuts away the damaged portion of the cornea and sutures the healthy cornea in its place. The entire process takes an hour or two. Vision will be blurry upon initial completion of the procedure, but ret
