Corneal Graft Surgery

Consultation
During a consultation for corneal graft surgery, your ophthalmologist will conduct a comprehensive eye examination to assess the condition of your cornea and determine the underlying cause of your vision problems. Your doctor will take a full medical history review, including any other eye conditions, surgeries, medications and allergies.

Your consultant will take time to discuss your symptoms with you, any visual concerns you have and your goals in improving your vision. As with any surgical procedure, they will also explain the benefits and risks of corneal graft surgery.

Your ophthalmologist will explain the different types of corneal graft procedures available (penetrating keratoplasty (PK), endothelial keratoplasty (EK), or deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK)). The choice of technique will depend on the specific characteristics of your cornea and the goals of the surgery.

Depending on your individual eyes and the procedure chosen, diagnostic tests may be performed to evaluate the specific characteristics of your cornea, such as endothelial cell count, pachymetry, and specular microscopy. These tests help determine the suitability of your cornea for transplantation and the type of graft that may be most beneficial.

How can surgery help?
Corneal graft surgery (or corneal transplantation) refers to procedures in which abnormal corneal tissue is removed from a patient’s eye and replaced by healthy donor cornea.

There are various reasons for carrying out this type of surgery and these include:

Vision improvement for conditions
Corneal graft surgery can improve the following conditions:

Keratoconus
Fuch’s endothelial dystrophy
Corneal scarring following previous infection/injury
Other corneal dystrophies
Corneal Integrity
To preserve the integrity and shape of the eye such as in patients with corneal thinning.
Eye Appearance Enhancement
To improve the appearance of the eye.