Is corneal transplant the right treatment for me i suffered a traumatic work accident earlier this year and have scarring of the cornea. my vision is a little blurry. i don't think it is severe enough and my eye doctor did not mention anything about corne

A : A corneal transplant is a majory surgery for the eye and takes months to heal, so if your vision is doing pretty well, i would defer treatment. If you feel impaired driving our getting around in general, consult a cornea specialist and get their expert opinion after a thorough examination of your eye.

You : You should also ask the doctor about a contact lens to improve vision. Often, it is the irregularity of the cornea more than the scar that causes blurred vision. In that case, a rgp lens (which is stiff and floats on the tear film) will give clearer vision without surgery. In addition, if the scar is not too deep, laser can be used to remove it and clear the problem.

Before : Before considering corneal transplantation in response to an injury, i recommend waiting at least a year. The eye is an amazing thing in its ability to heal itself. Transplantation should never be taken lightly. If other options are available, i suggest trying them first. Laser treatment to reduce the scar can be attempted for some and contact lenses are great at smoothing out irregularities and improving vision.

It : It depends... It depends on the vision you have in that eye. You may not have 20/20 vision but if it is better than 20/60, you should not consider the surgery. However, if it 20/80 or worse then you should have the surgery. If your vision is between 20/60 to 20/80 then you can go either way. It depends on the experience of the surgeon and the confidence he/she has on getting you a better vision with the transplant.

Contact lens: You should try a contact lens fit to see what the best corrected vision is prior to considering corneal surgery. If scarring is superficial, laser treatment (ptk) can sometimes be beneficial.

Difficult to say: Your eye doctor should know for sure and be able to advise you best. Other less invasive options may also be considered, including a rigid gas-permeable contact lens (rgp) and laser surgery to remove superficial scar tissue (ptk). Luckily, it sounds likely maybe none of these options are necessary. Maybe all you need is a change in your glasses!

A : A corneal transplant is a procedure that should be performed only when indicated. A corneal transplant would be indicated when the procedure can be presumed to provide a significant benefit, the risks exceed the benefits, and other less risky measures to improve vision have failed. In your case, a transplant may have a significant benefit. But all procedures include risks and benefits. Risks of a corneal transplant include vision loss, graft failure, graft rejection, among others. Additionally, a corneal transplant requires extensive post-op care and follow-up. The decision to proceed with a corneal transplant requires careful deliberation after a discussion with your eye doctor.

Unless : Unless you have a significant decrease in vision and it has been at least a year, i think that discussion of a corneal transplant is premature. Transplants are not risk free and even succesful transplants take a long time to heal. I would try everything else before considering a transplant.

Corneal scarring: If your vision is just a little blurry, you should consider a rigid gas permeable contact lens or ptk laser treatment prior to considering corneal transplant.