International Surgical Vision Expert; Dr. Sunalp is a medical graduate of Oxford University, Oxford England and is board certified in ophthalmology and refractive surgery from the University of Southern California, USA. Dr Sunalp and the expert staff of Sunalp LaserVision have the experience and full service range of treatments including state of the art VISX CustomVue individualized laser vision correction.
Corneal Transplant
in Visalia, Fresno and Tulare, California
Why Get a Corneal Transplant?
Sometimes, usually in relation to disease, injury or hereditary conditions, the normally clear cornea can be damaged. The cornea may lose its shape or cloud over, resulting in vision loss. In these cases, the only option is corneal transplant where the cornea is replaced with a new healthy one, obtained from an anonymous deceased donor. Donor corneas are obtained from eyebanks, where they are carefully screened for any diseases.
The Procedure
The entire procedure is about an hour in length. Local anesthesia is administered around the eye to numb the area. A circular piece is cut from the patient's diseased cornea, and replaced with a piece of the same shape from the donor cornea.
The new cornea layer is stitched into place with fine sutures.
After the corneal transplant procedure, you can go home, but you should not bend over, lift heavy objects, or otherwise strain yourself for several days. The eye will be patched after the surgery, and follow-up appointments will be made to monitor the progress of healing and remove the stitches.
Risks of Corneal Transplantation
The biggest risk with any transplant surgery is rejection. The immune system's purpose is to seek out foreign tissue and destroy it, thus protecting the body from infection and disease. Sometimes, the immune system will view a transplanted organ, such as a kidney or lung, as a foreign body which must be eliminated. A rejection will take place as the body tries to get rid of the strange new organ.
Rejection of the cornea is much rarer than with other organs, because the cornea does not contain any blood vessels. Even so, the risk of rejection is greatest in the first few months after the surgery, and decreases over time afterward (though rejections can still occur years later). If a rejection does occur, the new cornea will begin to swell and cloud over, and the rest of the eye can become red and irritated. This clouding over of the cornea is different in that it does not result in permanent loss of vision. The rejection, if caught early enough, can be treated with medication, such as eye drops.
See for yourself just how easy, pain-free and affordable corneal transplant can be with the right doctor. Se habla espanol!
Se Habla Espanol!
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Disclaimer: The Sunalp Vision Center in Tulare, California, provides the latest technology in eye care and custom laser eye surgery in the Visalia, Fresno, Bakersfield and Tulare, California area. This site is intended to only provide information. It is not meant to be taken as professional medical advice. Contact us for more information or to schedule your corneal transplant consultation.
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