Cornea Transplants (Keratoplasty)

Vision improvement is the most common reason to perform a cornea transplant. The improvement in vision can be life-transforming, particularly with advanced minimally invasive keyhole cornea graft surgery performed at Harley Vision.

Most cornea surgeons in London and throughout the UK have good experience in cornea graft surgery. Make sure that your surgeon performs modern minimally invasive partial thickness cornea graft techniques.

Mr Mukhtar Bizrah always emphasises to patients that the surgery itself is not the greatest challenge in cornea graft surgery, but rather the compliance with follow up and use of prescribed eye drops.

Cornea transplantation is performed with anaesthesia, meaning the surgery itself very rarely results in pain. Major advances in cornea transplantation have resulted in significantly less pain after the surgery, and many patients experience very little or no pain.

At Harley Vision, cornea transplantation can be offered under local anaesthesia, sedation or general anaesthesia.

Many surgeons only perform certain types of cornea transplants under general anaesthesia (GA). Mukhtar Bizrah is a strong advocate for use of local anaesthesia to perform cornea transplant surgery (link to pubmed). This is to avoid the risks of GA, particularly in patients with other medical conditions.

The recovery time from a cornea transplant can range from days to months, and is very much dependent on the type of cornea transplant that is needed. This will be explained to you by the surgeon during your clinical consultation.

Corneal transplant surgery can help in restoring vision in various corneal diseases, leading to a remarkable improvement in vision. Just look for the best corneal transplant surgery clinic in the UK, London, to be under the care of a highly experienced corneal surgeon.

With corneal transplantation, the scarred or affected portion of the eye is removed surgically and a healthy donor cornea is replaced in its place. Common conditions include Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, keratoconus, cornea scarring and pseudophakic bulluor keratopathy.

The patient can get better vision, a better cosmetic effect, and even relief from pain with corneal transplantation. However, it is best to ask your corneal surgeon in London, UK, about the why the surgery is required and what type.

During the corneal transplant surgery, you can expect the surgeon to anesthetise your eye with local anaesthesia. Sedation or general anaesthesia may be used. The surgery can be performed with or without insertion of stitches, and is becoming less invasive. This whole process of corneal transplant surgery may seem a hassle, but with a highly specialist clinic in London and experienced surgeon by your side, the process can be much less daunting than you think.

This is one of the most common questions asked by patients attending our cornea transplant surgery clinic in London. Vision can improved remarkably in a couple of days, and will take significantly longer for more complex cornea transplants, such as full thickness cornea transplants. The surgeon in our corneal transplant surgery clinic in London will advise you regarding the Do’s and Don’ts following surgery, and how to maximise the chance of speedy visual recovery.

There are various conditions affecting different layers of the cornea which may necessitate cornea transplant surgery. For example, cornea transplantation may be required for any degenerative conditions like Fuchs dystrophy and ICE (Iridocorneal Endothelial Dystrophy). You may also need to look for a clinic in London, UK, for corneal transplant surgery if you have structural conditions like cornea scars after eye injury or cornea infections.

Some patients are also advised for corneal transplant surgery following inflammatory conditions like ulcerative keratitis. Furthermore, traumatic conditions like accident-induced scars and severe chemical and thermal burns may also require corneal transplant surgery. The surgeon may also advise you for cornea transplantation following unsuccessful refractive surgery.

Our cornea clinic in London, UK, specializes in treatment of complex cornea diseases, and reviewing cornea cases for second opinions.

Here are some common forms of corneal transplant surgery that are performed by Mr Mukhtar Bizrah at our cornea clinic in London, UK:

• Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK): This procedure is similar to DSAEK but replaces only the very deepest layer of the cornea. This is used for conditions affecting the innermost layer of the cornea.
• Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK): This partial-thickness transplant replaces the deepest layer of the cornea, leaving the front and middle layers in place. This is used when only the inner layer of the cornea is damaged or diseased.
• Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK): This partial-thickness transplant procedure replaces the front and middle layers of the cornea, leaving the inner layer in place. This can be used when the inner layer of the cornea is healthy.
• Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK): This traditional full-thickness corneal transplant involves replacing all layers of the cornea. This procedure might be used if my cornea is scarred or severely damaged.
• Other: There are various other types of cornea surgery, and will be discussed with you by the eye surgeon where relevant.

Regardless of the type of keratoplasty, the surgery involves the removal of a portion of my diseased or damaged cornea, followed by the placement of a clear, healthy donor cornea. This is secured by an injection of air or gas, or with tiny sutures. A patch or shield will be placed over my eye to protect it during the initial stages of recovery.

Our cornea clinic in London also specializes in performing partial thickness corneal transplants behind failed cornea grafts. This is an advanced less invasive procedure that can result in faster visual recovery.

Nowadays, with modern eye banking and advanced surgery methods, out success rate for corneal transplant surgery in London, UK is higher than ever. The success rate depends on the type of cornea transplant, surgeon’s experience with modern techniques, the risk factors, follow up and compliance with treatment (e.g. eye drops) following surgery.

A corneal transplant surgery can take between 20 minutes and one hour. It can take up to 1.5 hours in complex cases. The before and after surgery process also takes time.

After cornea transplantation, follow up with your surgeon is extremely important.

Although the corneal transplant surgery in London, UK, is done using advanced technology by a highly skilled surgeon, there are some potential risks associated with surgery. These risks include cornea graft rejection, graft detachment, graft failure, infection, inflammation, eye pressure problems, glaucoma, cataract formation, etc.

Risks of cornea graft rejection vary with the type of cornea transplant performed and the indication for surgery, and will be discussed in more detail by your cornea transplant surgeon.

At Harley Vision, we only advise patients to undergo cornea graft surgery if we believe that the cornea transplant benefits outweigh the risks.