When your car’s windshield gets too scratched or pitted, it obscures your vision, and you replace the windshield. You can do the same if your eye’s cornea is scarred from injury or disease.
HEALTHY LIVING IN THE FOUR CORNERS ISBROUGHT TO YOU BY SOUTHWEST EYE CONSULTANTS, SPECIALIZED MEDICAL ANDSURGICAL EYECARE.
WHEN THE WINDSHIELD ON YOUR VEHICLECRACKS, OR IT GETS CLOUDY FROM TINY SCRAPES AND SCRATCHES, YOUREPLACE IT. IT'S NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO THEWINDSHIELD OF YOUR EYE: THE CORNEA. THE CORNEA IS THE CLEAR LAYERTHAT COVERS YOUR PUPIL AND ALLOWS LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH THE LENS TOTHE RETINA. IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR 65 TO 75% OF THE EYES' TOTALFOCUSING POWER. IT ALSO ACTS AS A BARRIER AGAINST DIRT, GERMS ANDOTHER PARTICLES THAT CAN HARM INSIDE THE EYE. AND IT FILTERS OUTULTRAVIOLET LIGHT FROM THE SUN, WHICH CAN HARM THE INNER LENS ANDRETINA. WHEN THE CORNEA IS DAMAGED, SCARRED, MISSHAPENED OR PLAGUEDBY ULCERS, YOU LOSE YOUR FOCUSING POWER, AND THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT MAYBE REDUCED CAUSING VISION PROBLEMS.
THAT'S WHEN YOU MAY WANTTO CONSIDER A CORNEAL TRANSPLANT.
THERE ARE CERTAIN DISEASE PROCESSESTHAT YOU'RE BORN WITH THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A CORNEAL TRANSPLANT ATSOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN AFTERSURGERY OR INJURIES THAT WILL REQUIRE CORNEA TRANSPLANTS TO GET THEBEST VISION POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE.
MORE THAN 45,000 PEOPLE A YEAR UNDERGOCORNEAL TRANSPLANTS USING CORNEAS HARVESTED FROM AN ORGAN DONOR ORARTIFICIAL CORNEAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S MADE FROM PLASTIC, ARE AVAILABLE,BUT MOST COME FROM HUMANS. AND A NUMBER OF AVAILABLE DONORS ISDECLINING BECAUSE OF THE POPULARITY OF LASIK SURGERY, WHICH WE CANWEAKEN THE SUBSTRUCTURE OF THE CORNEA. NEVERTHELESS, THE OUTPATIENTPROCEDURE IS FAIRLY SIMPLE AND CAN INVOLVE REPLACING JUST THE DAMAGELAYERS OF THE CORNEA OR THE WHOLE LENS. IF YOU REPLACE THE ENTIRETHING, YOU CUT OUT A CENTER, THE CENTER AND YOU CUT OUT THE CENTERFROM THE DONOR, AND THEN YOU DO A BUNCH OF STITCHES AND YOU PUT ITBACK ON.
THEY'RE FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL. THE ONE THING THAT'S, YOUKNOW, ALWAYS ON THE, THE REASON THAT THEY FAIL IS GENERALLY FROMREJECTION, WHICH COMES FROM ANY ORGAN TRANSPLANT. USUALLY WITH DROPSAND DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU CAN KIND OF KEEP THAT TO A MINIMUM. BUTIT'S ALWAYS A RISK. THE ONES THAT JUST DO THAT, CERTAIN LAYERS OF THEEYE ARE REMOVED, HAVE A LOWER RISK OF REJECTION. WHEREAS THE ONESTHAT HAVE, WHERE YOU DO THE FULL THICKNESS ONES HAVE A HIGHER RISK OFREJECTION, BUT THEY'RE STILL FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL EITHER WAY. IF YOU'DLIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CORNEAL TRANSPLANTS, GET IN TOUCH WITH DR.SMITH@SWEYECONSULTANTS.COM. I'M DEBORAH URODA FOR HEALTHY LIVING.
