Cornea Specialist in Gurgaon
Our eyes are made up of several components that function together to allow us to see what is around us.
What is Cornea?
Our eyes are made up of several components that function together to allow us to see what is around us. One such crucial eye structure is the cornea. It is the translucent part of the eyes that is visible in the front. The cornea protects the pupil and the iris, which are located in the center of the eyes. Its primary function is to bend or refract light entering the eyes. Light enters the cornea and is focused on the retina, where an image is formed.
The cornea is composed of proteins and cells and there are no blood vessels present. The presence of blood vessels might induce clouding of the cornea and hinder it from reflecting light properly. The degree of curvature present in the cornea has a significant impact on its overall capacity to refract light. If there are any irregularities in the corneal curvature, the processing of the picture generated on the retina might be quite poor.
The cornea is an extremely important part of the eyes that allows us to see properly, and any problems with it should not be overlooked. It is critical to visit an ophthalmologist, particularly someone who specializes in corneal conditions, as soon as you discover any symptoms or complications in your eyes.
What are some conditions related to the cornea?
A variety of disorders can cause corneal damage.
- Corneal injuries and scratches: Different types of injuries, as well as regular scratching on the cornea, are some of the most common problems. Minor damage normally heals on its own, while scarring that is deeper might cause visual issues.
- Toxic Chemical exposure: exposing the eyes to any toxic chemicals can cause inflammation and abnormalities in the cornea. Factory workers who operate in hazardous conditions are more vulnerable.
- Allergies: these are frequent conditions that can irritate the cornea. Pollen, for example, can irritate the eyes and cause conjunctivitis, which can affect the cornea and make your eyes itchy, red, and watery. This can also result in atopic keratoconjunctivitis.
- Keratitis: it is an inflammation of the cornea that causes a red and puffy cornea. Infection through contact lenses is one of the most prevalent causes of this condition.
- Corneal dystrophies: these are vision-impairing disorders caused by abnormalities in the cornea. These are frequently progressive, which means they become worse with time.
The following are some of the most common dystrophies:
- Keratoconus is most commonly identified in children and teenagers. The cornea’s middle and lower portions become thinner. The cornea is normally round, but keratoconus causes the cornea to become conical, which can cause a variety of optical impairments.
- Fuchs dystrophy is a condition that occurs in old age when a specific type of corneal cell fails to function, causing the cornea to swell. As a result, the cornea thickens and hinders proper light refraction.
- Lattice dystrophy: it is named as such due to the formation of lattices on the cornea. The lattices are formed as a result of the accumulation of various materials on the cornea.
- Ocular herpes is a condition in which the herpes virus infects the eye and causes ulcers on the corners of the eyes.
When to see Cornea Specialist
A visit to an ophthalmologist is usually recommended if you have any vision problems, particularly if you have any corneal conditions.
The following are common symptoms of corneal irritation:
- Intense eye pain
- Excessive itching in the eyes
- Blurred or unclear vision
- Red and extremely watery eyes
- The feeling of something being stuck in the eyes
- Eye injury or eye trauma
- Excessively dry eyes
You are more likely to develop corneal dystrophies if you have a family history of diseases.
To keep your corneal health in check, it is generally recommended that you visit your ophthalmologist regularly.
How are corneal conditions identified?
A comprehensive eye examination is the first part of your appointment with the ophthalmologist. This gives your ophthalmologist a better understanding of your eye disorders.
A dilated eye exam, which comprises many tests, is used to assess most corneal diseases. This includes tests like:
- Acuity test of the eyes
- Visual field examination
- Test of eye muscle function
- Test of pupil reaction
- Tonometry test
- Dilation
All of these tests aid the ophthalmologist in diagnosing your corneal problems. Using a fluorescein dye on the eyes, the scratches on the corneal surface are studied which makes it easier to see the abrasions.
What are some of the options for treating corneal problems?
There are a variety of treatment options for corneal conditions. Eye drops and medications can be used to treat normal corneal problems. Antibiotics are commonly found in these eye drops.
Advanced corneal conditions necessitate a different treatment approach.
- Laser treatment is frequently favored in the case of specific corneal dystrophies. The procedure is known as phototherapeutic keratectomy. This operation aids in the reshaping of the corneal structure, the removal of scar tissue from the eyes, and the improvement of eyesight.
- Corneal transplant surgery is one of the most prevalent and preferred treatment options for corneal dystrophies. In certain advanced cases, the damage to the cornea is severe, necessitating corneal transplant surgery. The procedure can cure the problems with the entire cornea or just a portion of it.
- Penetrating keratoplasty entails a whole corneal transplant. The entire damaged cornea is removed and replaced with donor tissue in this procedure.
- Deep anterior Lamellar keratoplasty is often used to repair a small portion of the injured cornea. It is used to treat disorders such as keratoconus and corneal scar. The donor’s stroma is used to replace the anterior section of the patient’s corneal stroma.
- Endothelial transplants: Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty is a procedure that is commonly performed to cure corneal conditions in the posterior of the cornea.
The patient is sedated during the process, which assures that the procedure is painless. The damaged area of the cornea is then removed with a trephine instrument and replaced with healthy donor tissue.
Corneal transplant surgery is usually recommended in advanced stages of corneal diseases if other treatments have failed or when the damage is substantial.
The surgery is indicated in the instance of:
- Ocular herpes
- Corneal infection
- Ulcers
- Cornea dystrophy
- Thicker or thinner cornea curve
- Advanced keratoconus
- Fuchs’ dystrophy
- Corneal scar
The surgery is quite popular, generally safe, and results in speedy and good recuperation.
Keratoprosthesis is a surgical treatment in which an artificial cornea is used to replace the affected natural cornea. This artificial cornea, known as keratoprosthesis, is chosen for individuals in whom standard corneal transplants have failed or other therapies have not been effective.
Cornea specialist in Gurgaon
The cornea is an extremely important part of the eyes that allows us to see properly, and any problems with it should not be overlooked. It is critical to visit an ophthalmologist, particularly someone who specializes in corneal conditions like a corneal Specialist in Gurgaon, as soon as you discover any symptoms or complications in your eyes
A visit to a corneal specialist in Gurgaon is usually recommended if you have any vision problems, particularly if you have any corneal conditions.
You are more likely to develop corneal diseases of the eye and dystrophies if you have a family history of diseases.
To keep your corneal health in check, it is generally recommended that you visit your ophthalmologist regularly.
A comprehensive eye examination is the first part of your appointment with the ophthalmologist. This gives your ophthalmologist a better understanding of your corneal eye diseases.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the cornea?
- What is the Function of the Cornea?
- How can cornea be affected?
- How long is the recovery from a corneal transplant?
- How long does corneal surgery take?
The cornea is the transparent tissue that covers the front of your eye. Your cornea is like the windshield of the car and functions as a protective glass. It allows light to enter your eye and focus on your retina. To have good eyesight, the cornea must remain clear.
- The cornea serves as the outermost lens of the eye. It acts as a window, controlling the passage of light into the eye, and contributes 65-75 percent of the overall focusing capacity of the eye.
- When light strikes the cornea, it bends or refracts the light onto the lens. The lens then refocuses the light onto the retina, located in the back of the eye, and begins translating light into vision.
- The cornea also functions as a filter, blocking some of the most harmful ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths in sunlight. Without this protection, the lens and retina would be extremely vulnerable to UV radiation damage.
The cornea can be affected by several common disorders, such as
-
- Injuries- Small corneal abrasions (scratches) normally heal on their own. Deeper scratches result in corneal scarring and visual issues.
- Allergies- Pollen allergies can irritate the eyes and produce allergic conjunctivitis (pink eye). This can cause your eyes to become red, itchy, and watery.
- Keratitis- Keratitis is corneal inflammation (redness and swelling). Contact lens infections are the most common cause of keratitis.
- Dry eyes occur when your eyes do not produce enough tears to keep your eyes moist. This is unpleasant and may cause eyesight difficulties and irritation.
- Corneal dystrophy Corneal dystrophies result in foggy vision as debris accumulates on the cornea.
- Ocular herpes, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, iridocorneal endothelial syndrome, and pterygium are less prevalent conditions.
- The complete recovery after a corneal transplant includes healing of tissues and vision correction, which may take upto a year or more and vary for every individual.
- For a few months after the surgery, your vision could be blurred, even worse than before, while your eyes adjust to the new cornea. Gradually it will keep improving and you will be able to resume your normal daily activities.
- Eye shields and protective eyewear will be needed to keep your eyes protected.
- Depending upon your nature of work and the healing of your eye, you can usually resume work within a week to 10 days.
- Heavy exercises have to be avoided for several weeks.
At Dr. Deepa Gupta’s eye care clinic, we assure the best results with minimal recovery time after a corneal transplant.
The time needed for a corneal surgery usually takes around 2 hours but varies depending upon factors like the type of surgery, amount of corneal destruction, cooperation of the patient, type of anesthesia, etc.
You will get a fair idea of the time required for your surgery after a thorough assessment and examination at Dr. Deepa’s eye clinic.