The cornea is the clear tissue on the front surface of the eye that allows light to enter the eye and be focused on the back of the eye. It also acts as a protective barrier from dirt, germs, and other debris that may enter the eye and cause damage. There are numerous eye conditions and diseases that can affect the cornea.
The fellowship-trained cornea specialists at Tri-Century Eye Care have experience in treating the full range of corneal diseases including:
There are many conditions which can cause damage to the cornea including corneal dystrophy, kerotoconus, and pterygium. Many corneal conditions can be treated using medications while others may require more advanced treatment or surgery. The cornea specialists at Tri-Century Eye Care perform state-of-the-art procedures to help improve vision problems caused by cornea disorders. Common procedures utilized include:
Corneal collagen crosslinking is a minimally invasive procedure performed in-office. It is an effective technique for treating keratoconus, a disorder in which the cornea is cone-shaped rather than round. Corneal crosslinking is performed by applying riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, and UV light onto the surface of the eye. This combination helps strengthen the thin cornea and prevents further changes from happening to the shape of the cornea.
The procedure takes approximately 60 minutes. First, an anesthetic eye drop is applied to numb the eye. Then, the epithelium, the outer layer of the cornea, is removed before applying the riboflavin. This helps the cornea absorb the riboflavin and UV light better. Next, riboflavin eye drops are applied and the patient is directed to look into a soft blue ultraviolet light for 15-30 minutes. After the procedure, a bandage contact lens may be used to help with the healing process. The recovery time will vary for each patient.
Corneal transplant surgery replaces damaged corneal tissue with healthy corneal tissue acquired from a donor. Several corneal conditions can be treated with corneal transplants including keratoconus, Fuch's dystrophy, corneal ulcers, and corneal scars as a result of trauma or infection. Corneal transplant surgery is typically performed if other treatment options have not been successful.
A corneal transplant surgery typically takes less than an hour to complete. Before beginning the procedure, anesthetic eye drops are applied to numb the eye. During the procedure, a circular section of the cornea, containing all layers of the cornea, is removed and replaced with the donor cornea of a similar size. Sutures are used to secure it in place and the recovery period is long, often taking up to a year before vision is at its best.
DSEK, or Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty, is a type of corneal transplant surgery. In this procedure, only the innermost layer of the cornea, called the endothelium, is removed. However, it is replaced with both an endothelium layer and a stroma layer from the donor, providing added thickness for easier management during the transplant. A small incision is used to perform this procedure so sutures are generally not required.
DMEK, or Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty, is a type of corneal transplant surgery. It is similar to DSEK in that the damaged endothelium layer is removed. However, DMEK only replaces it with an endothelium layer from the donor; it does not use the stroma layer. As a result, the transplant tissue is very thin. This makes it more challenging to work with but it does have a quicker recovery time.
