What is a full thickness corneal transplant?
A full thickness corneal transplant is done to remove a diseased, infected, or scarred cornea. It's replaced with a healthy cornea from a person who has died. The cornea is the clear surface that covers the front of the eye.
In most cases, you will be awake during the surgery. The doctor will put medicine in your eye to numb it. You may also get medicine to help you relax. Or you may get it to make you sleep during the surgery.
Surgical tools are used to keep your eye open. You may feel some pressure in your eye. The doctor makes a small cut (incision) in your cornea. Then your cornea is removed. The doctor puts the new cornea over your eye and sews it into place. You will usually need to visit your doctor to have the stitches removed. The stitches may be removed all at once, or they may be slowly removed over months or years.
This transplant takes about 1 hour. Most people go home on the day of the surgery.
After surgery, you will need to wear an eye patch for about a day. Then you will need to wear a clear eye shield or glasses to protect your eye. You'll use this until the eye has healed.
Ask your doctor when you will be able to return to work and your normal routine.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
How do you prepare for surgery?
Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.
Preparing for surgery
- Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
- Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
- If you take aspirin or some other blood thinner, ask your doctor if you should stop taking it before your surgery. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. These medicines increase the risk of bleeding.
- Tell your doctor ALL the medicines and natural health products you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
- Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance care plan. If you don't have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It's a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.
Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter C523 in the search box to learn more about "Corneal Transplant (Full Thickness): Before Your Surgery".