The laser eye surgery is a clear window at the front of your eye that allows light to enter and does most of the focusing for your eyes. Injury, disease or inherited conditions can interfere with vision by scarring the cornea, causing it to bulge and not properly focus light onto the retina (back of the eye). A corneal transplant replaces a disc-shaped segment of the abnormal cornea with a healthy donor cornea. The operation is usually performed in a hospital or day surgery center and you go home the same day.

What is the postoperative management of keratoplasty?

After the surgery you will need to wear a patch over your eye for four days, and your doctor may recommend that you take oral medications as well. It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions regarding how to care for your eye, especially in terms of avoiding rubbing your eyes. You will need to continue to use steroid eye drops as directed by your doctor.

During the operation, your surgeon uses a circular cookie cutter-like instrument called a trephine to remove the central portion of the abnormal cornea, or corneal dystrophy. A “button” of similar size from a healthy donor cornea is then sewn to the damaged cornea using extremely fine sutures. An air bubble is then injected into the eye to help the donated tissue adhere to the cornea. Your ophthalmologist may also repair other problems in your eye during the same procedure, such as cataracts.