The cornea is the front surface of the eye - it’s the clear transparent tissue that covers the iris (colored part of your eye) and the pupil (the black hole in the middle). The cornea is responsible for 2/3 of your focusing power for optimal vision, and can be damaged by disease, scar tissue, or swelling of the cornea.
Middlesex Eye Physicians' corneal specialist can perform an exam to determine if a damaged cornea is causing a patient's vision to be disrupted. Some vision complaints are glare, blurry vision, and distorted vision.
If you have a family history of corneal disease you should inform your corneal specialist so your doctor is aware of the issue. Typically our corneal specialist will determine if a patient is a candidate for a corneal transplant procedure if they have problems such as:
*Keratoconus
*Corneal injury
*Painful swollen cornea
*And/or failed corneal procedures
There are two types of corneal surgery performed by our corneal specialist:
* PKP (penetrating keratoplasty): You will receive full donor tissue.
* DSEK (Descements stripping endothelial keratoplasty): Your diseased endothelial (innermost portion of the cornea) is removed and replaced by donor tissue.
When you are considered a candidate for corneal transplant surgery, your name will be placed with a donor bank for corneal tissue and surgery will be scheduled with Middlesex Eye Physicians' corneal specialist by our surgical coordinator. You may need a pre-operative medical examination from your primary care physician prior to the procedure.
After your surgery your corneal specialist will prescribed eye drops. You will come back to our office for follow up care. Your vision after corneal transplant surgery will not be perfect, as it takes time for your body to accept the donor tissue and begin to improve your vision.
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