Transplant Surgery
Getting on the list
When an ophthalmologist determines that a patient
requires a cornea transplant, the patient's name is listed on the
Eye-Bank's surgery schedule. This schedule gives priority to patients
with emergency need followed by those who have been waiting the
longest.
Preparing for Surgery
Prior to surgery, the patient is given laboratory
tests that may include X-Rays, electrocardiogram, blood, urine and
other eye tests. These are scheduled tests, done just prior to surgery.
Patients are instructed not to eat or drink anything after midnight,
the night before their scheduled surgery.
 Surgery
Cornea transplant surgery may be performed under
general or local anesthesia.
The patient's face is cleansed/prepped and covered
with sterile cloths. The surgeon performs the operation, which usually
lasts between one and two hours, looking through a high-powered
surgical microscope. During the surgery, the surgeon removes the
patient's damaged cornea and replaces it with the clear, donor cornea.
The donor cornea is then sewn into place with stitches
(sutures) that are approximately one-third the thickness of a human
hair.
After Surgery
After surgery, the patient's eye is patched with
eye pads and covered with a metal or hard plastic shield to protect
it from injury. The day after the surgery, the doctor examines the
eye and usually puts the patch back on. Many patients are able to
open their eyes and notice visual improvements immediately. Patients
are allowed to eat something light as soon as they feel ready.
Before going home, the patient is instructed on
how to use the necessary medications, which may be ointments or
eye drops, and given a medical schedule to follow.
Recovery
The early recovery period generally varies between
one to three weeks following surgery. In this period, the patient
should avoid rubbing his/her eyes and avoid any external contact
with the eyes. Also any activity that will increase blood pressure
to the head or the eye should also be avoided e.g. any activity
that requires heavy lifting, bending the head lower than the waist;
or any straining that requires holding ones breath should be avoided.
Recipients should not undertake activities that
require good vision (such as driving a car) while their eye is patched
or until their vision is adequately restored. It is also very important
for patients to keep every follow-up appointment with their doctor
throughout the recovery period and to use medication exactly as
prescribed.
Warning Signals
If the patient's body begins to reject the transplant
or if any other problems occur, the situation can often be remedied
if the patient contacts the doctor immediately. If a graft does
fail, another cornea transplant is performed. Transplant recipients
must watch for the following conditions:
- Redness of the eye.
For the first few weeks after surgery, the eye will be red and
become less red as time goes on. However, any substantial increase
in redness or redness after recovery is cause to contact the doctor.
- Light Sensitivity.
Some light sensitivity after surgery is expected and it should
gradually decrease. If the eye becomes more sensitive to light
than usual, the doctor should be notified.
- Vision Loss.
Patients are advised to select an object at home to test their
vision on every day. Changes in vision are expected, but if the
check point appears more cloudy or blurred than in previous checks,
the doctor must be called.
- Pain. Small twinges
of pain during the healing process are expected. But the doctor
must be notified if the eye hurts or throbs steadily for more
than two or three hours.
|
