Can a damaged cornea repair itself?
Your eyes are an amazing organism that give you the gift of sight. Unfortunately, they can get damaged from accidents or disease. The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye and is clear. This layer can also be genetically faulty. The cornea is there to help protect your eye from outside debris and helps you see things clearly. With how important the cornea is to your eye, should it get damaged you may be wondering, can the cornea repair itself or will I need to get surgery?
The cornea does have the ability to send new cells to the site should a scratch occur- however depending on how deep the scratch is will depend on the eyes own ability to heal. Light surface scratches will have the best possible outcome in the least amount of time. Deeper scratches do have the possibility to heal themselves, although they will take longer to do so. The key is to make sure you are being extra careful during the healing process and to make sure to get it looked at right away to determine the extent of the damage.
As with any medical issue, the sooner you have a doctor take a look and run any necessary tests to make sure there is not serious damage and to know just how to care for it. While the healing is taking place, you might notice a few symptoms like blurry vision, watery eyes, pain, and/or redness. Making sure to give your eyes enough rest each day to allow the healing to occur is needed. Avoid staring at screens too long or getting to much sunlight exposure. Sunglasses are a staple anyways in Florida, but be sure to use them when you go outside and take extra care.
What if the damage is too deep, is there any treatment or surgery for that?
There is such a thing as cornea surgery should your cornea get permanently damaged. Due to conditions such as scarring after injury or infections, keratoconus, a hereditary corneal failure, or any other condition resulting in glare or blurred vision, corneal surgery can be preformed to remove the damaged cornea and replace it with a clear donor cornea. Clouding or repeated scarring of the corneal tissues over time may eventually obscure vision until you need surgery. Extremely thin corneal tissue caused by keratoconus may also require transplantation.
A corneal transplant (keratoplasty) is a procedure in which some or all of a cornea in need of replacement is removed and replaced with donor tissue. The surgery may be done with traditional surgical technologies or with the aid of a surgical laser. Through a cornea transplant surgery, your vision can improve significantly and has a high success rate. This surgery does require a donor cornea and thus there typically is a wait until one can become available.
The cornea transplant surgery removes part of your damaged cornea tissue and is then replaced with the donor’s cornea in the same size. Tiny cuts along the outer edge by a laser or a blade are specifically done to ensure the best possible healing process. Once the whole procedure is completed, your doctor will place bandages over your eye to ensure it is protected while healing. Follow up appointments are important to ensure everything is healing correctly.
You mentioned a donor cornea, where will my new cornea come from?
Regional facilities maintain tissue banks that include corneal tissue from individuals who have donated their corneas to medicine. The donor tissues are carefully inspected before surgery to make sure they are safe to use and appropriate for your eyes.
What are the different types of corneal transplant?
Endothelial keratoplasty replaces only the inner layer of your corneal tissue with donor tissue. A partial thickness corneal transplant replaces only the middle and outer layers. A penetrating keratoplasty (PK) replaces the full thickness of the corneal tissue.
Full thickness cornea surgery is the most extensive surgery however it is less common. A full thickness cornea surgery is needed when you have severe damage to the cornea and need all of the layers of your cornea replaced. The medical term for this surgery is penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Typically we find that it takes just a few days of needing an eye patch and once removed often people experience blurry vision in that eye. Most people find within 6-12 weeks their eyes have adjusted to the new cornea and their vision has improved.
Partial thickness cornea surgery is when you need to replace only the innermost layer of the cornea. This is known as DSAEK, which stands for decimates stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty. DSAEK is a relatively new surgical technique that affords significant improvements over traditional corneal transplants for certain indications. Your vision will be quite blurry for the first few weeks after surgery as the new cornea is healing. Most patients notice improvement in their vision during the first two weeks after surgery, with continued improvement during the next four to six weeks.
Pterygium surgery is a procedure performed to remove noncancerous conjunctiva growths (pterygia) from the eye. The conjunctiva make up the clear tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. The pterygium surgical procedure is fairly quick and low risk. We will remove the pterygium along with some associated conjunctiva tissue. Once the pterygium is removed, we will replace it with a graft of associated membrane tissue to prevent recurrent pterygium growths. Recovery time can take anywhere between a couple of weeks to a couple of months for your eye to completely heal, without signs of redness or discomfort.
What can I expect before and after my corneal transplant surgery?
Your surgery time will take about two hours, with time following in post anesthesia care to recover. Some redness, tearing, light sensitivity, and irritation for a few days after your surgery are to be expected. You will be given an eye shield that will protect your treated eye during sleep while it recovers. Eye drops and ointments will be prescribed to protect the eye from complications. The time the surgery takes is broken down to three steps:
Arrival: After you arrive at the outpatient surgery center, your doctor will numb your eye with drops or an injection near the eye. Your doctor may also give you a medication to relax.
Surgery: Your surgeon will make tiny cuts with a laser or a blade near the edge of your cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of your eye. This will enable your surgeon to reach your cornea and begin repair.
Healing: In most cases, you will not need stitches to close the incisions. The so-called self-sealing incisions will close on their own in time. Your surgeon will place a shield over your eye to protect it during the healing process.
How can Perich Eye Center help?
We can advise you when it’s time to consider a corneal transplant and counsel you on the procedure and after care. We can also co-manage your recovery through regular eye and vision exams. We are proud to have many years of expert experience caring for patients with cornea troubles.
If you have damaged your cornea and would like us to take a look, feel free to give one of our locations that is closest to you a call (see below for locations and their corresponding phone number). We are happy to be your first stop or your second opinion.
