Corneal Transplantation

What is the Cornea?

The cornea is the clear part of the eye located in front of the iris and all other eye structures except the eyelids.  When a cornea is cloudy, light entering the eye is scattered and cannot be focused to produce a clear image. Poor vision or blindness may result.  A corneal transplant is a procedure where a diseased cornea is replaced with a new, clear one.

James G. Brooks, Jr. M.D. and Dr. Cynthia P. Nix M.D. are fellowship trained in cornea and refractive surgery, which makes them the most specialized in this field in the Columbus area.

Corneal transplant surgery involves the removal of the central portion of the cloudy cornea and replacing it with a clear cornea donated through an eye bank.  The surgeon removes the cloudy cornea, places the new cornea in the opening, and sews it with a very fine thread. The thread stays in for months to years until the eye heals.  Following surgery, eye drops will be needed for several months to decrease the risk of infection or rejection of the new cornea.

About 40,000 corneal transplants are performed each year in the United States. The success rates of this operation have risen dramatically because of technological advances, such as finer sutures, better medications, and the surgical microscope. Corneal transplantation can restore sight to those who have been blinded by corneal injury, infection, or inherited corneal disease or degeneration.

DSEK – A New Technique in Corneal Transplant Surgery

At West Georgia Eye Care Center, our goal is to provide our patients with the most advanced surgical care available. We are excited to be the only area providers of the newest technique in corneal transplant surgery. Our corneal fellowship trained surgeon, Dr. James G. Brooks, Jr. MD, explains “With the newer method the surgery is faster, the wound is smaller, and the wait for maximum vision return is significantly shortened.”

DSEK is not for every patient in need of corneal transplant, some patients may not be suitable candidates. To learn more, we invite you to review the valuable information contained in our informed consent materials.

Click here to view a Video of DSEK Procedure provided by www.hopkinsmedicine.org