Services

Corneal & Trauma Center

FAQ

What is Cornea?
Cornea is like a transparent watch glass situated in front of the eye. It appears black or brown from outside due to the dark structures situated underneath.
Who requires Corneal Graft?
Cornea can become cloudy or opaque leading to decreased vision or even severe loss of vision. The opacity of cornea is caused due to any severe infection (corneal ulcer) or trauma / injury. These patients will require Corneal Grafting Surgery.
What is Corneal Graft?
Corneal Grafting or KERATOPLASTY is carried out to replace the damaged cornea with a clear one with sutures. This clear cornea is obtained from the donated eye of a deceased person. The latest techniques involve sutureless corneal transplant techniques like DALK- Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty and DSEK- Desemets Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty.
What is myopia?
Myopia or short-sightedness is a condition in which the rays of light reaching the cornea (the clear front portion of the eye) are focused in front of the retina (the light sensitive portion of the eye). The resulting vision is thus, not clear and close objects are seen well than those at a distance.
How is Myopia Corrected?
Corrective Lenses: Contact lens and spectacles alter the path of the light rays to achieve precise retinal focus.
Corneal Graft Operations

Cornea is like a transparent watch glass situated in front of the eye. It appears black or brown from outside due to the dark structures situated underneath.

Keratectomy (myopia)

Myopia or short-sightedness is a condition in which the rays of light reaching the cornea (the clear front portion of the eye) are focused in front of the retina (the light sensitive portion of the eye). The resulting vision is thus, not clear and close objects are seen well than those at a distance.

C3 Linking (Corneal Collagen Cross Linking)

Keratoconus is a progressive disease of the cornea in which the corneal tissue is weak. This results in gradual thinning and bulging outward of the cornea. As the name Keratoconus implies Kerato - meaning cornea, Conus - meaning cone, the condition results in conical protrusion of the cornea.

The patients may present with complaints of blurry and distorted vision. This results due to the abnormal curvature of the cornea leading to irregular astigmatism. The chances of suffering from this problem is one in two thousand. Approximately half of the keratoconus patients need help beyond corrective glasses. The other modalities of treatment available now such as Rigid Gas Permeable lenses, Intact are often uncomfortable to the patient and restricts the life style.

In advanced Keratoconus the only option to restore vision is a corneal transplant. This new modality of treatment known as a collagen cross-linking with Riboflavin has proven to strengthen the weak corneal structure. During this 30 minute cross linking treatment custom made Riboflavin eye drops are applied to the cornea which is then activated by UV-A light. Under the influence of the UVA, chemical bonds form in the corneal collagen lamellae, which are the structural backbone of the corneal tissue, and this strengthens the cornea and stiffens the tissue. The increase in tissue rigidity appears to slow or stop the progression of the corneal thinning and shape changes that normally occur in keratoconus.

Keratoconus is a debilitating condition that affects vision in people starting their careers and is hence a serious problem. However, with recent advances in instrumentation, early diagnosis is possible, and with newer modalities of treatment available in the form of cross linking to patients who had no hope science has made yet another mark in helping people with a progressive blinding disorder.