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The cornea is the clear front part of the eye that helps to focus light. It covers the iris and pupil, and is composed of five layers: the epithelium, Bowman’s layer, stroma, Descemet’s membrane, and endothelium. The cornea is very important for vision, as it helps to bend light so that it can be focused on the retina. If the cornea is damaged, vision may be impaired. Corneal transplants are sometimes necessary to restore vision.
If you think you have a corneal disease, please contact us. All of our doctors have the necessary experience, expertise, and equipment to diagnose and treat corneal diseases. We also have a fellowship-trained cornea specialist on staff.
Some corneal diseases can be treated with medicinal drops, glasses, and special contact lenses. However, if the vision is significantly distorted and blurry secondary to corneal swelling, scarring, or irregular astigmatism, a corneal transplant may be indicated to help restore your vision.
Keratoconus, Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy, chemical burns, and infectious scars from herpes simplex virus or bacterial ulcers from contact lenses are some common causes of a damaged cornea. If severe enough, a corneal transplant may become necessary.
A corneal transplant, also known as penetrating keratoplasty, involves the removal of the diseased cornea and replacing it with donor corneal tissue. The new corneal graft is held in place with sutures that help the wound heal. The donor tissue does not need to be blood matched because typically there aren’t any blood vessels on the cornea.
Because a corneal transplant is significant eye surgery and can be associated with complications, the decision for surgery is not easy. Our doctors will help you make that difficult decision. Typically, the prognosis for a corneal transplant is very good depending on the indication for surgery.
Please contact Denver Eye Surgeons to set up an evaluation if you have a corneal disease. Our doctors are all trained in diseases of the cornea. We do have a cornea specialist on staff for when corneal surgery may be necessary.
Denver Eye Surgeons has been treating cornea related issues successfully for over 40 years!
