Corneal Transplant Surgery Ephrata PA

If you are thinking about corneal transplant surgery in Ephrata, PA, or elsewhere in Lancaster, Berks, Schuylkill or Montgomery Counties, consider the highly qualified cornea specialists at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania who have restored quality of sight of many corneal transplant patients through surgery.

Adam J. Altman, MD, Jonathan D. Primack, MD, and Kevin J. Shah, MD are board-certified and cornea fellowship-trained ophthalmologists. Fellowship training is considered the ultimate training for an ophthalmologist. It means that they can provide you with the highest standard of care.

Dr. Altman received his fellowship training at the world famous Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr. Primack received his fellowship training at the prestigious Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Shah graduated from SUNY Upstate Medical University and received his fellowship training at the Cincinnati Eye Institute at the University of Cincinnati.

Common Questions about Cornea Transplant Surgery

  1. What is corneal transplant surgery?

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped tissue covering the front of the eye. If it becomes distorted in shape, scarred, or hazy (opaque) from injury or disease, the light rays passing through it are distorted and vision is reduced. In some cases, corneal transplant surgery is performed to replace the injured or diseased cornea with a healthy, clear cornea to restore good vision.

  1. Are there different types of corneal transplant surgery?

There are three general types:

  • Penetrating Keratoplasty (PKP): This type of corneal transplant has been performed for decades and is used to treat many conditions, such as Keratoconus, that affect multiple layers of the cornea. The entire cornea is removed, similar to cutting cookie dough with a cookie cutter all the way through, and replaced with a donor cornea that is sutured into place with stitches tinier than a human hair.
  • Lamellar Keratoplasty (LPK): This type of corneal transplant may be performed for conditions such as corneal scars, keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration when the damage is mainly located in the front layers of the cornea. The front half of the cornea is carefully dissected and removed along with any damaged tissue. Then a new donor cornea is gently sutured into place. With LPK, the risk of rejection and surgical complications is reduced, compared to PKP, and visual recovery is faster.
  • Descemet’s Stripping with Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK): This relatively new corneal transplant is most often used to treat conditions that affect the back part of the cornea, such as Fuchs’ Dystrophy or pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (a complication after cataract surgery). It involves making a small incision in the cornea, removing the diseased endothelial cells, and replacing them with donor corneal cells. An injected air bubble, instead of sutures, keeps the donor tissue in place.
  1. Where do donor corneas come from?

Donor tissue for cornea transplant surgery is provided by eye banks throughout the United States. The corneas are obtained from deceased individuals who arranged for donation prior to their death or whose families gave permission.

  1. How successful is corneal transplant surgery?

The majority of the corneal transplants in patients with Keratoconus, Fuchs’ Dystrophy, corneal scars and other types of corneal disease are successful. The surgery may be less successful when there is a corneal infection or severe injury, such as a chemical burn.

Corneal transplant surgery requires patients and ophthalmologists to work closely together before, during, and after surgery. Through a careful evaluation, Dr. Altman, Dr. Primack and Dr. Shah will evaluate your condition and determine if you are a good candidate for surgery.

To find out more about corneal transplant surgery in Ephrata, PA, get in touch with Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania at (800)0762-7132 to schedule an evaluation.

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