Cornea transplant

What is the cornea?

• The cornea is the transparent and curved part of the eye that performs two-thirds of the eye’s focusing tasks.
• It refracts or curves rays of light when they enter the eye, which makes it possible to focus them toward the retina.
• If the clarity or the curvature of the cornea is affected by injury or disease, vision can be drastically affected.

Cornea transplant (also known as keratoplasty) is advisable when vision has diminished to a certain degree and is irreversible.
It is the organ transplant procedure with the highest success rate, greater than 90%.
The affected cornea is extracted using a microscope and microsurgical instruments; then, the new cornea is sutured in its place.
A new technique has recently been incorporated that makes it possible to delay transplanting the cornea when the pathology causing diminished vision is Keratoconus. It is the intraocular ring implant technique (Keraring, Ferrara, INTACS).