Your Recovery
You had a full thickness corneal transplant. It was done to remove a diseased, infected, or scarred cornea. Your cornea was replaced with a healthy cornea from a person who has died.
After the transplant, 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 until it has healed.
Your eye may feel irritated or scratchy for a few days after surgery. But it's important not to rub your eye. Rubbing your eye could damage it. Your vision may be blurry for a period of time after surgery. For some people, it may take many months, and even up to a year, to get the full benefits of surgery and to see as clearly as possible.
Your doctor will give you eyedrops to help your eye heal and prevent your body from rejecting the donor cornea. Use the drops exactly as directed. You will need to see your doctor often to have your vision checked. And you'll probably need to see 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.
Ask your doctor when you will be able to go back to work and your normal routine.
This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to get better as quickly as possible.
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.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter R222 in the search box to learn more about "Corneal Transplant (Full Thickness): What to Expect at Home".
