Be a part of the vision.
Corneal Transplants.
The cornea is the clear front "window" of
the eye. The cornea focuses light on the retina, and works as a "pump"
to keep vision clear.
Damage to a cornea interferes with its continuous action of pumping fluids to keep the front of the eye clear. A damaged cornea will swell and become clouded, reducing or robbing the patient of sight. Many corneal diseases worsen over time, until the only medical option is to replace the existing damaged cornea with a functioning cornea from an eye donor.
Severe infections, and accidents such as puncturing injuries or acid burns on the cornea can also result in the need for a transplant.
Corneal transplantation helps restore vision for patients whose corneas have been damaged through diseases, injuries, or infections.
"Traditional"
cornea transplants
replace the entire damaged cornea, as shown here, at
right."Partial-thickness" transplantation (see photo, below) is a newer surgical technique that may be used to replace only damaged inner layers of the cornea. The procedure is useful for patients whose outer corneal layers are still healthy. The cornea is specially prepared, using an instrument called a microkeratome. The partial-thickness graft makes it possible to retain the patient's healthy cell layers and creates a stronger graft that does not require stitches. Patients whose corneal damage can be cured with this type of transplant regain their vision more rapidly.
The cornea being prepared for
a new type of transplant.
After the transplant, the cornea is
held in place with an air bubble,
instead of stitches.
Help us achieve our vision.
The Eye Bank relies on community support to help us fund our vision restoration initiatives. Click here to learn how you can help give the Gift of Sight today.
