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What happens if you decide to have a
corneal transplant?
Before Surgery
Once you and Dr. Cano decide you need a corneal transplant, your name is
put on a list at the local eye bank. Usually the wait is short.
Before a cornea is released for transplant, the eye bank tests the human
donor for the viruses that causes hepatitis and AIDS. The cornea
is carefully checked for clarity.
Dr. Cano may request
that you have a physical examination and other special tests, depending
on your current health. If you usually take medications, ask Dr.
Cano if you should continue them prior to surgery.
The Day of
Surgery Surgery is often done on an outpatient
basis. You may be asked to skip breakfast, depending on the time
of your surgery. Once you arrive for surgery, you will be given
eye drops and sometimes medications to help you relax.
The operation is painless. Anesthesia is either local or general,
depending on your age, medical condition, and eye disease. You
will not see the surgery while it is happening, and will not have to
worry about keeping your eye open or closed.
In
Corneal transplant surgery, the
damaged cornea is removed, and
a clear donor cornea is sewn into
place. The
Operation
The eyelid
is gently opened. Looking through a surgical microscope, the
ophthalmologist measures the eye for the size for the corneal
transplant.
Dr. Cano performs the surgery as he looks through a microscope in order to
do this very delicate work with great precision. A trephine, an
instrument like a cookie cutter, is used to remove your cloudy cornea.
(See Figure a and b.) The trephine cuts out the donor graft to ensure
that its size and shape are right for the opening made in your cornea.
Bleeding is minimal, amounting usually to only one or two drops of blood.
Any necessary additional work
within the eye, such as removal of a cataract, is completed. Then
the clear donor cornea is sewn into place. When the operation is
over, Dr. Cano will usually place a shield over your eye.
A) The cloudy cornea is removed with a
trephine.
B) This is a side view of A.
C) The donor corneal tissue is placed in the opening.
D) The donor cornea is then sewn in place using a very fine suture.
Dr. Cano places the new corneal graft in the
opening and sews it with a very fine thread, or suture, often finer than a
human hair. (See Figure c and d.) This suture stays in for months or even
many years until your eye heals properly. Removing the suture is quite
simple and can easily be done in your ophthalmologist's office.
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