HOW CAN CONTACT LENSES HELP THOSE WITH CORNEAL TRANSPLANTS?

Corneal transplantation is a surgical procedure that replaces a patient's cornea with a donor cornea. This occurs when the patient has the inability to see through the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye), whether from scarring, disfigurement, or severe surface disease. 

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A cornea transplant can be life changing for a patient to restore sight. The procedure includes removing a portion of the patient's cornea and replacing with a donor cornea and using sutures (stitches) to secure in place. After the healing process, the sutures are removed slowly. 

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The cornea transplant introduces new irregularities to the surface of the eye. Because of this, when a light ray hits the eye (to see an image), it does not reach the retina in a straight line. Visual symptoms with a corneal transplant may include blurry vision, double vision, or light sensitivity.

 

Having a new glasses prescription can help with vision after a transplant, but sometimes the irregularities still prevent the eye from seeing as well as it could.

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For this reason, contact lenses made of a rigid plastic like scleral lenses can create a "new", more regular, surface that results in much clearer vision.

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Contact lens Doctors work closely with your corneal surgeon to ensure that the transplant continues to be healthy while wearing a scleral lens after surgery.