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Corneal Grafting
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The cornea is the transparent front layer of the eye. It is positioned just in front of the iris, which is the structure that gives each person's eye its individual color.
It acts as one of the important refractive elements, and it is one
of the powerful lens in the eye. It is convexo- concave in shape.
Light rays pass through the clear cornea as they enter the eye.The cornea helps to focus and transmit light as it passes to the lens and on to the retina at the back of the eye. When light reaches the retina it is converted into impulses which are transmitted via the optic nerve to the visual centre in the brain. Should the cornea for any reason become cloudy, the person's vision will be permanently reduced.
There are many reasons for the cornea to become cloudy :
Young people are often born with abnormalities of the cornea. In a condition known as keratoconus, the cornea develops an abnormal curvature that makes normal vision impossible. Childhood infections such as measles can also cloud the cornea, often causing permanent blindness throughout the person's life.
In later years infection or trauma to the eye, are the main causes for the cornea to become opacified and this can once again reduce the vision making it difficult for the person to work.
In the older sections of our population, degenerative diseases, often caused by excessive exposure to the harsh sunlight
can cause the cornea to become dull with a resultant loss in vision. Old people then find it increasingly difficult to function.
The dull opacified cornea can however be transplanted with a new cornea, thus restoring the vision of the patient, whether he be a young child, an adult or an old person. The operation is performed by highly trained ophthalmic surgeons using the latest micro surgical techniques. Hospitalization is however often no longer than a day or two. The success of such grafts are more than all other forms of organ
transplantation due to absence of blood vessels in cornea.
Types Of Corneal Grafting?
1.Corneal Full thickness Grafting.
Full thickness grafting is performed to remove
central corneal opacities, kerotoconus,
corneal dystrophies &
degeneration and for therapeutic indications.
2.Partial Thickness Grafting.
Partial thickness and pattern cut graft to replace the superficial
layers of the cornea.
3.Stem Cell Grafting.
Stem cell grafitng is needed to be performed in case of perforations
and non healing corneal
ulcers.
All the above grafting procedures are Extensively Performed here.
Source of Corneas for Transplantation
Corneas are removed from the eyes of people who have died. The individual, or his/her family, consent to the medical use of the eyes after death.
Corneas are not taken from donors known to have infectious conditions. All donors are screened for carriers of AIDS or Hepatitis viruses before their corneas are used.
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