Cornea Transplant

Out of all the structures of the eye, the cornea is the sole piece of organ that can be transplanted for the purpose of vision correction. Presently, cornea transplants have gone through many enhancements and entail layer-by-layer transplants which has greatly boosted the success probabilities of this operation.

In this procedure first, the blood of the deceased donor is tested for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, HBV etc., Then the donor’s corneal tissue undergoes a Specular Microscopy that helps in the examination of the health of the cells of the donated corneal tissue. Thus, based on the result the donors can be split for various uses.

Factors that Can Affect the Cost of Cornea Transplant

The cost of a Cornea transplant may vary depending on the following factors. Most of the elements that you encounter during your planning significantly affect your budget and do not come under pre and post-treatment costs. Here are the various things that can potentially influence the price of cornea transplant.

Medication costs: Some of the factors that can affect the total cost of the transplant include the types of medicines that a patient will require before, during, or after the transplant.
Patient Condition: It should be noted that the nature and severity of the disease and the client’s general health determine the treatment time, and therefore the cost.
Duration of treatment: This is because a patient can end up spending a lot of money on treatment in cases where the treatment is a multiple-session affair.
Geographical location: Again, the cost may depend also on the location of the center in the given country.
Hospitalization expenses: Complication factors include the number of days the patient spends in the hospital and the intensity of the nursing care that they are likely to need.
Government policies and subsidies: The accessibility of new premiums and subsidies under government healthcare may impact the costs, of the procedure experienced by the patients.
Hospital reputation and infrastructure: Some of the accredited health facilities that have cutting-edge equipment may require high fees to be charged.
The expertise and experience of medical professionals: This situation makes an ophthalmologist with extensive experience and recognition expensive in terms of fees and thus the costs of treatment.
The type and frequency of diagnostic procedures: That is, constant examinations using various imaging and lab tests often contribute to a higher treatment price because of the higher value of these procedures.
The choice of treatment modality: Choosing the newer or more modern treatment or going for precision medicine may be costlier than the conventional treatments.

When is Cornea Transplant Needed?

A corneal transplant is one of the most common surgeries applied to a damaged human eye that aims to help a person see again. A cornea transplant also may help to alleviate pain or other signs related to cornea diseases. A number of conditions can be treated with a cornea transplant, including:

An abnormal condition characterized by the protrusion of the cornea that is known as keratoconus.
Albinism is a hereditary disease, and Fuchs’ dystrophy or the eye disorder.
Squinting or tearing of the outermost layer of the eye known as the cornea.
Opacities in the cornea due to any type of infection or injury.
Swelling of the cornea.
Impacted by untreated corneal ulcers that healed with scarring.
Surgical complications after cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, or any eye surgery done prior to the progression of the macular problem.

How are the Diagnosis and Transplant for Cornea Done?

Before cornea transplant surgery, you will undergo:

A thorough eye exam: Possible complications are checked by your eye doctor for surgery.
Measurements of your eye: The eye doctor prescribes or decides what size of the donor cornea you require.
A list of all prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs you may be taking. Everything else related to the eyes is not considered as a cure for sight-threatening eye diseases. Any other eye ailment like infection or inflammation of the front part of the eye can cause rejection of the corneal transplant. Conditions such as these will be managed by your eye doctor prior to your surgery.

The sort of cornea transplant that you have will mainly be determined by the damaged part of the cornea or the extent to which the corneal tissue has to be replaced.

The options include:

Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) – an autograft technique that involves a complete thickness transplant.
Deep lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) or in other words, the procedure of replacing the outer third and the middle third of the corneal tissue, corresponding to a geographic location.
Endothelial keratoplasty (EK) – is the technique of replacing the deeper or back layers of the cornea.

Corneal transplant can be done with general anaesthesia which makes you unconscious and local anaesthesia where only the area of operation is made insensitive to pain and you are not unconscious. It is often a day procedure, meaning that it should not take more than an hour, and depending on your situation you may be discharged on the same day or it may require an overnight stay.

If during surgery the outer cornea is transplanted, then a new outer layer is sutured in and these stitches may remain in for more than one year. It does not need suturing which is an extraordinary attribute of an endothelial transplant also referred to as an EK. It remains floating on the surface supported by an air bubble until in several days it adheres to the inner layer of the cornea.

The Most Important Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How Serious Is a Corneal Transplant?
A: Transplanting a cornea is comparatively safe. However, there is a slight chance of major side effects such as an eye infection. Glaucoma is a rise in intraocular pressure.

Q: Can Blindness Be Cured Via Corneal Transplant?
A: Many people’s quality of life and vision are restored by corneal transplant surgery.

Q: What Is the Duration of Corneal Transplant Recovery?
A: In general, patients can anticipate that their recuperation will take several months to a year. After surgery, you can normally go back to work a week or two later, and over the course of several months, you can progressively resume more demanding activities.

Q: What Is the Age Limit for Cornea Transplantation?
A: There is ongoing discussion on the value of donor age as a corneal quality index. While certain eye banks have historically had upper age limits of 65 years, countries including India, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States do not have conventional upper or lower age limits.

Q: Are There Any Options for Artificial Corneas?
A: Patients undergoing transplants who are unable to tolerate a human donor cornea may consider an artificial cornea.