CHRISTUS Health's ophthalmologist are expertly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of corneal disease and will work closely with you to help improve you vision and quality of life.
If your cornea is severely damaged or diseased, you might require a corneal transplant to improve your vision.
Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), replaces your central corneal tissue with donor tissue. The procedure usually takes about an hour under regional or general anesthesia, and you can go home the same day following surgery. After corneal transplant surgery, you will wear a plastic shield or eyeglasses to protect your eye, and you will use eyedrops to prevent infection and rejection of the donor tissue. Your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) will monitor your progress closely after your surgery to ensure the best possible visual outcome and to control minor discomfort associated with the surgery and healing process. Vision usually returns gradually over the next few months or up to a year. It is important to inform your ophthalmologist if you have pain, irritation, or redness of the eye following PKP, as this could be the earliest sign of infection or rejection, and early treatment of these conditions is critical to the viability of your graft.
Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) is an advanced technique that replaces only the deepest layers of your cornea using donor tissue, leaving the above layers of tissue intact. Although this is a more technically challenging procedure than penetrating keratoplasty, it may reduce the risk that your body will reject the donor tissue and is a good option for some patients.
