Corneal Transplantation is a surgery to replace some or all of the cornea that has become cloudy from disease or injury. Different techniques of corneal transplantation may be used depending on the disease.
For example, corneal transplantation may be used for patients who have a severe scarring from corneal diseases like herpes simplex or keratoconus. Replacing the cloudy cornea with clear corneal tissue from an organ donor can restore vision in these cases.
The most common reason for transplantation in the United States is a genetic disease called Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy. To read more about Fuchs dystrophy from a reputable, medically accurate source, visit the Fuchs Friends patient forum.
In such cases, our highly trained experts will do a partial thickness corneal transplant called DMEK (stands for Descemet’s Membrane endothelial keratoplasty), which can achieve excellent visual outcomes. In fact, Dr. Geoffrey Hill was the first cornea specialist in the St. Louis area performing the DMEK technique regularly in private practice. Speak with him or another member of our staff to learn more about which type of corneal transplant is right for you.