Penetrating Kerotoplasty: the complete corneal transplant
When the cornea becomes extremely swollen, scarred or warped, light cannot easily pass through to the retina, and vision is lost. Several diseases can result in a cloudy or warped cornea, such as corneal swelling after eye surgery, Fuchs Dystrophy, Keratoconus or scarring after corneal trauma. In these cases, a complete replacement of the cornea may be needed. The surgical procedure to accomplish a complete corneal transplant is called Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK).
During a PK, the entire cornea is removed, much like a man-hole cover, and replaced with a complete donor cornea. The donor tissue is secured in place with many sutures that are finer than a human hair, usually placed in a spoke like fashion around the outside edge of the transplant. These sutures remain in place for several months, and then are slowly removed over the course of one to two years. Many eye medications are required after a corneal transplantation, and a lifetime commitment to eye drops and regular eye examinations is required in order to keep the transplant healthy and prevent rejection.
