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Cornea Treatments

Cornea Treatments

The cornea plays a vital role in your vision, and when it becomes damaged or diseased, it can significantly impact your daily life and overall eye health. At Kirk Eye Center, our experienced team offers a full range of treatment options, from conservative management to advanced surgical interventions, including state-of-the-art partial-thickness corneal transplants (DSAEK and DMEK).

Whether you’re experiencing vision changes, eye discomfort, or have been diagnosed with a corneal condition, we’re here to help you explore your treatment options and find the best path forward for your unique situation.

What is the Cornea?

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped front layer of your eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Acting as your eye’s primary focusing element, the cornea is responsible for over 60% of your eye’s total focusing power.

This transparent tissue consists of five distinct layers: the epithelium, Bowman’s layer, stroma, Descemet’s membrane, and endothelium. The cornea must remain perfectly clear and maintain its precise shape to ensure sharp, clear vision. When the cornea becomes damaged, scarred, or diseased, it can significantly impact your vision and overall eye health.

Common Corneal Conditions

Several conditions can affect the cornea and compromise your vision, including:

Fuchs’ Dystrophy

Fuchs’ Dystrophy is a progressive condition where the corneal endothelium gradually deteriorates, causing the cornea to swell and become cloudy. This condition typically affects both eyes and can lead to vision loss if left untreated.

Corneal Edema

Corneal Edema is the accumulation of fluid within the corneal layers, causing thickness, haziness, and reduced vision clarity.

Corneal Scarring

Corneal Scarring can result from infections, injuries, or previous surgeries, creating permanent cloudiness that blocks light from entering the eye properly.

Bullous Keratopathy

Bullous Keratopathy occurs when the corneal endothelium cannot properly regulate fluid, causing painful blisters and swelling on the cornea’s surface. This condition often results from previous eye surgery or injury.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a progressive corneal thinning and bulging condition that causes the cornea to develop a cone-like shape instead of its normal dome shape. This irregular shape leads to distorted vision, increased sensitivity to light, and difficulty with night vision. The condition typically begins in the teens or twenties and may progress over time.

Corneal Dystrophies

Corneal dystrophies are inherited conditions that affect the different layers of the cornea. These genetic conditions can cause clouding, deposits, or structural changes within the cornea, leading to vision problems. Some dystrophies progress slowly over time, while others may remain stable for years.

Treatment Options

At Kirk Eye Center, we offer a comprehensive range of treatment options for corneal conditions, tailored to each patient’s specific needs and the severity of their condition.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Non-surgical treatments form the foundation of many corneal treatment plans. These include specialized eye drops to reduce inflammation and control symptoms, medications to manage underlying conditions, and protective treatments such as therapeutic contact lenses or eye shields to promote healing and comfort.

Specialty Contact Lenses

Specialty contact lenses can provide excellent vision correction for many corneal conditions. Scleral lenses, which vault over the cornea and rest on the white part of the eye, can dramatically improve vision for patients with keratoconus or corneal irregularities. Other specialized lens options include rigid gas permeable lenses and hybrid lenses that combine the benefits of both hard and soft lens materials.

Surgical Interventions

Surgical interventions are considered when conservative treatments are insufficient. These range from minor procedures to address specific symptoms to more comprehensive surgical solutions. When corneal damage is severe or progressive, surgical options may provide the best path to restored vision and eye health.

What is a Corneal Transplant?

The skilled team at Kirk Eye Center performs partial-thickness corneal transplants (DSAEK and DMEK) for patients who have corneal disease or injuries. A corneal transplant involves surgically excising the diseased or damaged portion of the cornea and replacing it with a healthy donor sample.

Our expert surgical team utilizes advanced technology to perform the most successful partial-thickness cornea transplant, achieving optimal results.

DSAEK: Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) is a partial-thickness corneal transplant that is performed to remove both the Descemet’s membrane and endothelium layers of the cornea. Both parts are then replaced with healthy donor tissue. This surgery uses a thinner layer of donor tissue compared to a full transplant.

DMEK: Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) is a partial-thickness corneal transplant similar to DSAEK, but it utilizes an even thinner sample of endothelial tissue to improve a patient’s vision.

Who is a Candidate for a Cornea Transplant?

Patients who have been affected by the following symptoms may be candidates for a partial-thickness cornea transplant:

  • Deep corneal scarring
  • Blurry, foggy, or distorted vision
  • Constant fluid buildup within the cornea
  • Morning vision problems that improve throughout the day
  • Light sensitivity and glare
  • Halos around lights
  • Difficulty with night vision
  • Progressive vision deterioration despite corrective lenses

A partial-thickness corneal transplant is often done to treat corneal swelling disorders, including Fuchs’ dystrophy and Bullous keratopathy. Additionally, patients with corneal decompensation following cataract surgery, corneal endothelial dysfunction, or failed previous corneal transplants may benefit from these procedures.

A complete exam will be performed at Kirk Eye Center to determine if you are a candidate for this surgery.

What to Expect After a Cornea Transplant

After your partial-thickness corneal transplant, we will provide detailed post-operative guidelines to ensure proper healing. Following surgery, you should start to notice vision improvements within the first couple of months, with full results developing after about six months.

Patients who undergo DSAEK typically achieve 20/40 vision, while DMEK patients usually attain vision around 20/25. You may be required to attend a series of follow-up appointments at our office to monitor your progress and ensure your ongoing health. The full recovery phase may take several months, but the team at Kirk Eye Center is here to support you every step of the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both DSAEK and DMEK are advanced partial-thickness corneal transplants. DMEK typically offers a faster visual recovery and sharper final vision due to the use of an even thinner layer of donor tissue. However, DMEK can be technically more challenging, so the choice depends on your specific condition, anatomy, and your surgeon’s recommendation. Both techniques have high success rates and significantly improve vision in patients with corneal endothelial disorders.

In most DSAEK and DMEK procedures, only a few sutures are used, or in some cases, none at all, since these techniques rely on the natural pressure inside the eye to hold the graft in place. Your surgeon will guide you on post-op care, which may include lying flat for several hours to help the graft adhere properly. Minimal stitching often means a more comfortable recovery compared to traditional full-thickness corneal transplants.

Donor corneal tissue used in DSAEK and DMEK procedures is intended to provide long-term improvement, and in many cases, the graft can last for decades. However, as with any transplant, long-term success depends on proper healing, follow-up care, and management of any underlying eye conditions. Regular checkups at Kirk Eye Center will help monitor the health and clarity of your graft over time.

Yes, you will need to use prescribed eye drops for several months following your surgery. These typically include antibiotic drops to prevent infection and anti-inflammatory drops to reduce swelling and prevent rejection. It’s crucial to follow your medication schedule exactly as prescribed to ensure proper healing and graft success.

While corneal transplants can significantly improve vision, the final result depends on several factors, including the underlying condition, the health of other eye structures, and individual healing responses. Most patients experience substantial improvement in their vision quality and daily functioning, though some may still require glasses or contact lenses for optimal vision.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

At Kirk Eye Center, we understand that corneal conditions can significantly impact your quality of life and vision. Our experienced team is committed to finding the right treatment for your unique situation, helping you regain clear, comfortable vision through the most advanced techniques available.

Schedule an appointment at Kirk Eye Center at one of our conveniently located Chicago offices to discuss your corneal condition and explore personalized treatment options that can restore your clear, comfortable vision.

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Cornea Transplants

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