Corneal Transplant for Keratoconus

For a small number of people with Keratoconus, a corneal transplant is necessary to restore vision. This is typically recommended when the cornea becomes dangerously thin, is scarred significantly, or when contact lenses and other treatments can no longer provide adequate vision.

What is a Corneal Transplant?

A corneal transplant, also known as keratoplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace part of your cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. There are different types of transplant procedures:

• Penetrating Keratoplasty (PKP): The entire central portion of the damaged cornea is removed and replaced with a full-thickness donor cornea.
• Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK): Only the outer and middle layers of the cornea are replaced, leaving the innermost layer (the endothelium) intact. This can reduce the risk of graft rejection.

The Recovery Process

Recovery from a corneal transplant can be a long process, often taking a year or more for vision to fully stabilize. Patients will need to use eye drops for several months to prevent infection and rejection of the donor tissue. Vision is typically blurry at first and improves gradually. After the eye has healed, glasses or contact lenses are usually still needed to achieve the best possible vision.

"Corneal transplantation has a high success rate for Keratoconus and can dramatically improve a patient's quality of life when other options have been exhausted."

While a transplant is a major surgery, it can be a life-changing procedure for those with advanced Keratoconus, offering a chance at clear vision once again.