Corneal Transplants in Napa, CA

The cornea, the transparent front window of the eye, refracts light so that you can see and focus. When the cornea is damaged, scarred, or swollen, vision may be blurry, hazy, or you might see glare. The cornea is remarkably resilient and able to heal from many minor abrasions, but sometimes the cornea cannot repair itself. In this case, your ophthalmologist may suggest a corneal transplant. When this procedure is performed at Precision Surgery Center of Napa Valley, healthy cornea tissue from a human donor is used to replace the diseased or damaged cornea. Depending on the location and the severity of the damage, a part of or the entire cornea can be replaced. Contact our center in Napa, CA to discuss your options for cornea transplant with a board-certified ophthalmologist. 

Our ophthalmologists often use corneal transplants to treat a number of eye conditions. Some of the most common benefits of a corneal transplant include:

• Restore vision
• Reduce pain
• Improve vision of a damaged or diseased cornea
• Treat a severe infection

If you want to learn more about the benefits of a corneal transplant or to schedule a corneal transplant, contact our Napa, CA surgery center today to request an appointment.

Good candidates for corneal surgery typically have damaged corneal tissue due to injury or illness. Some conditions that might qualify you for a corneal transplant include:

• Keratoconus
• Fuch's dystrophy
• Corneal ulcers

Candidates must be in good general health, and their vision likely cannot be further improved with corrective lenses like glasses or contacts. To determine if you are a good candidate for corneal surgery and discuss all the risks and benefits of surgery, please consult one of our cornea specialists in Napa, CA.

Before your surgery, you and your ophthalmologist will go over your general health and any medications you may be taking to ensure you are healthy enough for transplant surgery. The cornea transplant would be performed as an outpatient procedure at Precision Surgery Center of Napa Valley. Eye drops and a device to keep your eye open will be put in your eye. Your eye surgeon will use either local or general anesthesia during the procedure to ensure you feel no pain. After surgery, your ophthalmologist will tape a patch over your eye to keep the healing eye covered. In the days following your surgery, you will have to follow your ophthalmologist's aftercare instructions and return to our center for post-surgery appointments.

Immediately following a corneal transplant, patients will likely be given an eye patch or shield to wear for the remainder of the day. Once the patch or shield is removed, patients may experience blurry vision, swelling, and mild discomfort. Patients are often given eye drops and other medications to help manage pain and prevent swelling and infections. Depending on the type of transplant performed, it may be recommended that patients sleep on their backs to help the new tissue stay in place. Most patients can return to their routine activities within 1-2 weeks after surgery. Corneal transplant recovery can time, which is why it is important to follow aftercare instructions and attend follow-up appointments.

Where do donor corneas come from?
The tissue for your corneal transplant will come from a human organ donor. Prior to the transplant, the donor tissue will be carefully evaluated to ensure it is a good match for your eyes.

Is a corneal transplant painful?
During the procedure, our experienced team at Precision Surgery Center of Napa Valley will use a local anesthetic to ensure you feel little to no discomfort. Following surgery, you may experience some redness, tearing, and foreign body sensations in your eyes. These symptoms can be controlled with eye drops that our team will provide you for your recovery. Should you experience any more concerning symptoms following your corneal surgery in Napa, CA, then contact our team.

How well can you see after a corneal transplant?
Following a corneal transplant, your vision may be blurry. In some cases, blurred vision can last several months. Your ophthalmologist will provide you with eye drops to help your eye heal.

If your cornea is damaged, a cornea transplant may be an option for helping to restore your vision. Talk to your ophthalmologist to learn what kinds of cornea transplant surgeries may be available to you, and consider Precision Surgery Center of Napa Valley in Napa, CA for your surgical needs.