Contraindications to Cornea Transplant Surgery

A cornea transplant (keratoplasty) is a surgical procedure to replace part of your cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. Your cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped surface of your eye. It’s where light enters your eye and is a large part of your eye’s ability to see clearly. A cornea transplant can restore vision, reduce pain, and improve the appearance of a damaged or diseased cornea. A cornea transplant may be necessary if eyeglasses or contact lenses can’t restore your functional vision. Keep reading on Moj Aramesh Amitis Health Tourism Company’s website to learn more about contraindications to cornea transplant surgery.

Diseases Treated with Corneal Transplantation

A cornea transplant is most often used to restore vision to a person with a damaged cornea. A cornea transplant can also relieve pain or other signs and symptoms associated with cornea diseases.

Several conditions can be treated with a cornea transplant, including:

• A cornea that bulges outward (keratoconus)
• Fuchs’ dystrophy, a hereditary condition
• Thinning or tearing of the cornea
• Cornea scarring, caused by infection or injury
• Swelling of the cornea
• Corneal ulcers not responding to medical treatment
• Complications caused by previous eye surgery
• Excessive swelling (edema) of the cornea.
• Chemical burns of the cornea or damage from an eye injury.
• Scarring when eyelashes grow inwardly, toward the eye, and rub against the cornea.
• Corneal rupture
• Corneal ulcer caused by corneal insufficiency after cataract surgery.

Finding a Donor Cornea

Corneas used in corneal transplants come from deceased people. Corneas are not used from people who died from unknown causes or from donors who had certain conditions, such as diseases that can spread previous eye surgery, or eye disease. Unlike with organs such as livers and kidneys, people needing corneal transplants don’t require tissue matching

 

Who can be an ideal candidate for a cornea transplant?

• People whose visual condition interferes with their daily activities and work.
• People whose vision is corrected by corneal transplantation.
• People for whom other treatments have not been helpful.

Who can be a corneal tissue donor? 

A decade ago, it was common for surgeons to reject corneas from people over 65 years old. But the Cornea Donor Study has concluded that corneas from people aged 34-71 are likely to remain healthy for most recipients after 10 years, with a success rate of 75 percent. Since corneas from people under age 34 do perform better in corneal transplants, it has been suggested that younger people should receive these younger corneas.

How to prepare for corneal transplant surgery?

Before cornea transplant surgery, you will undergo:

•  A thorough eye exam.

Your eye doctor looks for conditions that might cause complications after surgery.

• Measurements of your eye.

Your eye doctor determines what size donor cornea you need.

• A review of all medications and supplements you’re taking.

You may need to stop taking certain medications or supplements before or after your cornea transplant.

•       Treatment for other eye problems.

Unrelated eye problems, such as infection or inflammation, can reduce your chances of a successful cornea transplant. Your eye doctor will treat those problems before your surgery.

Cornea Transplant Post-Operative Instructions

Once your cornea transplant is completed, you can expect to:

1-Receive medications. Eyedrops and, sometimes, oral medications immediately after cornea transplant and during recovery will help control infection, swelling, and pain. Eyedrops to suppress the immune system help prevent cornea rejections.

2-Wear eye protection.

 Eyeshields or glasses protect your eye as it heals.

3-Lie on your back.

Depending on the type of transplant, you might have to do this for a while after surgery to help the new tissue stay in place.

4-Avoid injury.

 Plan to take it easy after your cornea transplant, and slowly work your way up to your normal activities, including exercise. Don’t rub or press on your eye. For the rest of your life, you’ll need to take extra precautions to avoid harming your eye.

5-Return for frequent follow-up exams.

Expect to see your eye doctor regularly in the year after surgery to monitor your progress and look for complications.

Cornea Transplant Possible Risks & Complications

Most corneal transplants are successful and safe, but sometimes there is a risk of rejection in cases. In addition to transplant rejection, which is the only major complication of the surgery, minor complications that may occur include eye infection, increased pressure in the eyeball, problems with the stitches, bleeding, and retinal problems such as detachment or swelling of the retina.

Symptoms of Cornea Transplant Rejection

Your body’s immune system can mistakenly attack the donor cornea. This is called rejection, and it might require medical treatment or another cornea transplant. if you notice signs and symptoms of rejection, such as loss of vision, eye pain, red eyes, sensitivity to light, your transplant is probably rejected.

Rejection signs may occur as early as one month or as late as several years after surgery. Your eye doctor will prescribe medication that can help reverse the rejection process. If detected early, the graft will be successful 9 out of 10 times. Should your graft fail, corneal transplant surgery can be repeated. While repeat surgery generally has good outcomes, overall rejection rates increase with the number of corneal transplants you have.

Different Types of Cornea Transplantation

There are different types of corneal transplant methods:

• Penetrating corneal transplant

 In this procedure, the surgeon removes the entire thickness of the damaged cornea, then places the donor cornea, which is adjusted to the size of the eye, into the created crater in the eye, and completes the surgery by suturing the cornea in place.

• Endothelial transplantation

 In this method, the damaged tissues behind the corneal layers are removed and the new cornea replaces the removed tissue.

Cornea Transplantation Results

Most people who receive a cornea transplant will have their vision at least partially restored. What you can expect after your cornea transplant depends on the reason for your surgery and your health. Your risk of complications and cornea rejection continues for years after your cornea transplant. For this reason, see your eye doctor annually. Cornea rejection can often be managed with medications.

Vision Correction After Transplantation

Your vision might initially be worse than before your surgery as your eye adjusts to the new cornea. It can take several months for your vision to improve. Once the outer layer of your cornea has healed — several weeks to several months after surgery — your eye doctor will work to make adjustments that can improve your vision, such as:

• Correcting unevenness in your cornea (astigmatism).

The stitches that hold the donor cornea in place on your eye might cause dips and bumps in your cornea, making your vision blurry in spots. Your doctor might correct some of this by releasing some stitches and tightening others.

• Correcting vision problems.

Refractive errors, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or, in some cases, laser eye surgery.

Recovering from a Corneal Transplantation

The total recovery time after a corneal transplant is one year or more. At the beginning of the recovery period, people’s vision will be blurred for several months or it may be even worse than before. But after a few months, the eyes get used to the new cornea, and vision improves. Avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for the first few weeks after surgery. Depending on your job and vision status, you can return to work the first week after surgery. Stitches are removed about 3 to 17 months after the surgery, depending on the eye and recovery. It is necessary to follow the instructions recommended by your doctor to minimize the complications of corneal transplantation after surgery and accelerate recovery.

Corneal Transplantation in Iran 

You may be looking for a safe country for corneal transplant surgery that will cost you a reasonable job while high quality, Iran will be the best choice for you. Iranian surgeons have a very high skill in providing corneal transplant surgery services. In addition to having high skills, these surgeons also have well-equipped offices and hospitals. Based on the explanations given, you may think that performing corneal transplant surgery in Iran will cost a lot of money, but we must say that the cost you have to pay in Iran is much less than the cost you have to pay in a country like the United States. Many hospitals in Iran can solve your problems with incredible speed and quality.

Concluding Remarks

In this article, we investigated the prohibition of corneal transplant surgery in Iran from Moj Aramesh Amitis Health Tourism Company. According to your need for corneal transplantation surgery in Iran, you can contact skilled experts of Moj Aramesh Amitis Health Tourism Company and get your appropriate, affordable, and suitable services.

Author: Sh. Khazaei

Translator: N. Rahimifar