Corneal transplant

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Before and after corneal surgery

The cornea is the clear layer on the front of the eye. A corneal transplant is surgery to replace the cornea with tissue from a donor. It is one of the most common transplants done.

Keratoplasty; Penetrating keratoplasty

You will probably be awake during the transplant. Local anesthesia (numbing medicine) will be injected around your eye to block pain and temporarily prevent eye muscle movement. You may receive a sedative to help you relax.

The tissue for your corneal transplant will come from a person (donor) who has recently died and who previously agreed to donate their tissue. The donated cornea is processed and tested by a local eye bank to make sure it is safe for use in your surgery.

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The most common type of corneal transplant is called “penetrating keratoplasty.” During this procedure, your surgeon will remove a small round piece of your cornea. Then your surgeon will sew the donated cornea into the opening of your eye.

Newer techniques may be used for some patients. During these, only the inner or outer layers of the cornea are replaced, rather than all the layers.

Corneal transplantation is recommended for people who have:

• Vision problems caused by thinning of the cornea, usually due to keratoconus
• Scarring of the cornea from severe infections or injuries
• Vision loss caused by cloudiness of the cornea, usually due to Fuchs’ dystrophy

Tell your doctor about any medical conditions you may have. Also tell your doctor what medicines you are taking, even drugs, supplements, and herbs you bought without a prescription.

You may need to limit medicines that make it hard for your blood to clot for 10 days before the surgery. Some of these are aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and warfarin (Coumadin).

You may take your other daily medicines the morning of your surgery. But check with your doctor if you take diuretics (water pills) or insulin or pills for diabetes.

You will need to stop eating and drinking most fluids after midnight the night before your surgery. You can have water, apple juice, and plain coffee or tea (without cream or sugar) up to 2 hours before surgery. Do not drink alcohol 24 hours before or after surgery.