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Cornea
Services
Ophthalmology
Consultants offers comprehensive cornea and external disease
services by fellowship-trained cornea specialist
Dr.
Steven F. Lee. The cornea is the outermost part of eye. This
clear, transparent membrane covers other eye anatomy including
the iris and pupil. The cornea functions as a protector for
other eye components and also provides the eye most of its optical
power.
Your
doctor or optometrist may refer you to Dr. Lee if
you are in need of a cornea surgery or have any of the cornea
disorders listed below:
- Traditional
Cornea Transplant
- DSEK
Cornea Transplant
- Cornea
Ulcer/Infection
- Ocular
Herpes/Zoster
- Pterygium
- Keratoconus
Traditional
Cornea Transplant
Transplanting
corneal tissue from a donor to a recipient is done to remove
a damaged or scarred cornea and
replace it with clear
corneal tissue. The donor cornea is attached with extremely
fine sutures. Patients with corneal diseases, including corneal
dystrophy
where the cornea becomes cloudy and reduces vision, and keratoconus
where the corneal tissue thins and becomes cone-shaped, are
sometimes candidates for corneal transplants.
DSEK
DSEK
(Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty) – is
a corneal transplant technique where the unhealthy, diseased,
posterior portion of a patient’s cornea is removed and
replaced with healthy donor tissue obtained from an eye bank.
Unlike traditional
corneal transplant surgery, the DSEK procedure utilizes a
much smaller surgical incision and requires no corneal sutures.
DSEK usually results in more rapid visual recovery and also
reduces
the risk of sight threatening complications that may occur
with
a corneal transplant, such as intraoperative expulsive hemorrhage
or post operative traumatic would rupture.
Cornea
Ulcer/Infection
A
corneal ulcer forms when the surface of the cornea is damaged
or compromised. Ulcers may be sterile
(no infecting organisms) or infectious. The symptoms
associated with corneal ulcers are red eye, pain, tearing,
discharge, white
spot on the cornea,
and light sensitivity. Treatment includes eye drops and
ointments.
Ocular
Herpes/Zoster
Ocular
herpes or zoster are viral infections of the eye. This causes
pain, redness and decreased vision. It
is treated with
antiviral
drops and pills. If it is not treated it can lead
to scarring of the cornea and vision loss.
Pterygium
Pterygium
is a raised, wedge-shaped growth of the cornea and conjunctiva.
It is most common among those
who live in tropical
climates or
spend a lot of time in the sun. Symptoms may
include irritation, redness, and tearing. For some, the
growth remains dormant;
however, in other cases it grows over the central
cornea and affects the
vision. As the pterygium develops, it may alter
the shape of the cornea, causing astigmatism. If the
pterygium invades the
central
cornea it is removed surgically.
Keratoconus
Often
appearing in the teens or early twenties, keratoconus is a
progressive disease in which
the normally round
cornea thins
and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape.
This causes distorted vision. Treatment includes contact
lenses
or surgery.
INTACS
INTACS
are prescription inserts that are used for the treatment of keratoconus.
Keratoconus is a condition that
results in a progressive
thinning of the cornea. As the cornea continues to thin, it typically
becomes shaped like a cone, which distorts the vision. INTACS
work by reshaping the cornea to a more normal shape. The goal
is to
allow patients to be successfully fitted with contact lenses
or glasses again so that vision can be restored. In the past
when
contact lenses could no longer be fit, a corneal transplant was
the only option to attempt to restore vision. Now, INTACS offer
an alternative to restoring vision and potentially defer the
need for a corneal transplant.
Minor
Injuries & Infections
Due
to its anatomical position, the cornea is prone to many types
of injuries. From superficial scrapes
to embedded foreign
bodies,
without proper eye protection and safety, the cornea may
be the victim of various types of eye injuries. Many minor scrapes
or
scratches may be treated with topical antibiotic drops or
ointments.
Sometimes, placing a pressure patch or bandage contact lens
over an injured cornea is required for proper healing.
Contact
Lens-Induced Problems
Improper
contact lens care or over-use can contribute to various corneal
conditions. Corneal ulcers
are caused by
corneal tissue
loss, that can occur due to bacterial or viral infection.
Proper contact lens maintenance and wearing contact lenses
as directed
can help avoid painful corneal problems.
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