Did you know that the cornea contributes almost 75 percent to the eye’s total focusing power?
Without a fully functioning cornea, we cannot expect to see clearly. By projecting the light precisely (with minimal scatter), our cornea helps us enjoy the view of the world in HD clarity. But that’s not all. It also contributes to the refractive power of the eyes and protects them from external irritants. However, when the cornea gets damaged for some reason, it can lead to several eye problems that can compromise the clarity of vision.
Eye Problems Leading to Cornea Damage
People with healthy corneas experience visual clarity, but the same cannot be said about people who have problems with their cornea. It is worth noting that a cornea can be damaged due to any of the following reasons:
- Eye injury
- Fuch’s dystrophy
- Keratoconus
- Eye infection
Cornea Transplant Surgery: How to Get Vision Clarity?
Cornea Transplant Surgery is known by many names such as keratoplasty and corneal graft. In this surgery, an eye surgeon replaces the damaged or diseased cornea with another healthy cornea, which is generally obtained through eye donations.
Cornea graft is considered to be safe and highly successful, which makes it a worthwhile option for those suffering from vision problems due to corneal malfunction.
During the surgery, the surgeon and the anaesthesia team look at your medical history. After that, they administer anaesthesia and apply medication to numb the eyes. After that, the surgery is started and the doctor replaces the damaged cornea with a healthy one. The procedure generally takes about 2 hours. It is worth noting that no overnight stay is required after cornea transplant surgery.
A Guide to Optimal Recovery After Corneal Surgery
An ophthalmologist generally recommends corneal surgery to patients who are suffering from any of the following conditions:
- Eye pain
- Blurry or cloudy vision
Although corneal surgery is successful in most cases and provides relief from the problems mentioned above, it is important to rest and recuperate post-surgery to receive the best outcome.
Immediate Care After Surgery and Driving Restrictions
After undergoing surgery, you need to be very careful with your physical workout. It is important to ensure that your chores are managed by someone else or you have minimal involvement so as to not put any pressure on your new cornea. Strenuous exercise is a big no-no and should be avoided at all costs. Also, you should not drive yourself to the clinic for surgery, as post-surgery you won’t be able to see clearly and drive safely on your return.
Although some people who have good vision in their non-operated eye can drive after 24 years, you should refrain from driving for at least a week or till the eye patch from your eye is removed.
First Follow-Up Visit and Precautions Before Visit
After the surgery, the doctor recommends a follow-up visit, which is usually within 24-48 hours of the surgery. The doctor may also prescribe glasses to prevent you from rubbing your eyes, which can be detrimental to the outcome of the surgery you have undergone and may delay the healing time.
Removal of Protective Cover After Surgery
After corneal surgery, a protective cover is placed on the eye to maximize healing and prevent external elements from getting inside the eye. You should not tamper with this protective covering and wait for 3-4 days (recommended by the doctor), after which the cover will be removed by the eye specialist.
It is possible that you might have to make a few trips to the clinic in the first week on your way to recovery. But after that, you will start seeing remarkable improvements.
For optimal results, you need to be patient and take proper rest. Your vision will not become perfect in just a few days. In order to achieve complete vision stability, you might have to wait up to 1 year.
Things to Remember After Corneal Surgery
Corneal surgery has a high success rate, but there is still a possibility of the eye rejecting the new cornea from a donor. Rejection might manifest itself as:
- Infection or bleeding
- Glaucoma or increased pressure in the eye
- Corneal transplant detachment
- Leakage of fluid from the cornea
- Cataract or clouding of the cornea
In extreme cases, one might also experience pain in the eye, vision loss, or sensitivity to light. So, if you experience any of these symptoms, you should connect with your eye surgeon.
Final Thoughts
Cornea Transplant Surgery is a highly successful surgery as it has a proven high success rate. However, if you want to ensure that your particular surgery is a success, you should be mindful of two things. Follow the tips in this article to recuperate carefully after surgery. Secondly and most importantly, always get this surgery done from a reputed eye surgeon like A/Prof Samarawickrama who has a consistent track record of successful surgery. Getting the surgery done by a proven doctor reduces the risk of complications post-surgery, which is extremely important for corneal transplant success.