Penetrating Keratoplasty(PKP/Full-thickness) & Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty ALK)
During your surgery, a “cookie-cutter” circular incision is made to remove the diseased central cornea. This is replaced by a clear donor transplant tissue, which is sutured into place, often requiring 16 sutures. Your surgeon may place a bandage contact lens over your eye to assist with comfort and healing after the procedure. The eye will be patched until you are seen for your post-operative appointment the following day. The surgery will take approximately 1 hour or longer.
Post-Op & Recovery
You will be in the recovery room for about an hour after the surgery, lying flat on your back, facing the ceiling. Prior to leaving, your surgeon will examine you to ensure that there is an appropriate size of air bubble and eye pressure.
The entire visit can take as long as 3–4 hours before you are ready to go home.
At-Home Instructions
Activities
Most normal activities are permitted even on the first day after surgery. You can shower and wash your hair. Remember, however, that you are at risk for infection for the first two weeks after surgery, so avoid all activities that put you at risk for infection (like gardening, working in dirty environments, etc.). Use common sense, and you will be fine. Do not rub your eye.
Finally, avoid any activities that may lead to taking a direct hit to the eye or pressure on the eye. No sports activities of any kind for 2 months after surgery. No swimming underwater for 4 weeks. Your surgeon may ask you to avoid heavy lifting for up to 6 months.
Follow-up Visits
You will visit our office the day after surgery, where the patch will be removed and need not be re-applied. You will, however, be asked to wear a protective shield over the eye (without a patch) at night while sleeping for 1 week. No protection is needed during the day, but if you normally wear glasses for the other eye, go ahead and wear them. You will be placed on antibiotic and steroid drops to prevent infection and help with healing. You will have a brief visit to the clinic one week after surgery and then again at one and three months.
Vision Expectations
Visual outcome is variable depending on the cause/need for cornea transplant and whether your eye has any other abnormalities such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration that may limit your vision.
Vision is typically blurry at first and gradually improves over the course of weeks to months. There is a likelihood of astigmatism affecting your vision that will ultimately require glasses or special contact lenses to optimize your vision. The sutures that are placed to secure the donor transplant contribute to astigmatism as well. These sutures typically remain in place until 6-12 months after surgery, after which your surgeon may remove them in the office. After all the sutures are removed and the eye is stable, a glasses prescription may be provided. Patience is required as full visual recovery from this procedure can take a year or longer!
RETURN TO CORNEAL DISEASES & DISORDERS
To schedule an appointment, call (509) 456-0107
