CORNEA

The cornea is the clear front dome shaped window of the eye. It provides about 2/3 of the eye's focusing power. It gives us a clear window to look through and is important for good vision.It also helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter.

The Corneal Service delivers medical and surgical care to a wide variety of corneal, external eye disease and anterior segment eye disorders.The Service is managed by a trained corneal sub-specialist ophthalmologist.

The common problems dealt with are:

OCULAR SURFACE DISORDERS

Diseases affecting the ocular surface results in non-specific symptoms and can range from a tired or itching eye to diminished vision in severe cases. The common problems dealt with are:

• Dry Eye Disorders.
• Corneal diseases with stem-cell deficiency.
• Pterygium and other conjunctival disorders.
• Ocular sensitivity and Neurotrophic Keratopathy.
• Ocular allergic diseases .
• Eyelid margin diseases such as Blepharitis and meibomitis.

INFECTIONS

Rapid and appropriate management of patients with infections is of paramount importance to minimize visual loss, relieve pain, eliminate the infectious agent, and minimize structural damage to the cornea and the other ocular structures.

• Conjunctivitis (red eye).
• Corneal ulcers.
• Scleral ulcers.

CORNEAL DYSTROPHIES

A corneal dystrophy is a condition in which one or more parts of the cornea lose their normal clarity. There are over 20 corneal dystrophies that affect all parts of the cornea. Some cause severe visual impairment, while a few cause no vision problems and are discovered during a routine eye examination. Other dystrophies may cause repeated episodes of pain without leading to permanent loss of vision. Some of the most common corneal dystrophies include Fuchs' dystrophy, keratoconus, lattice dystrophy, and map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy.

CORNEAL ECTATIC DISORDERS

These disorders are characterized by a progressive change in the shape of the cornea that results in a decrease in vision. Contact lenses are of benefit and obviate the need for surgery in most cases. However, a small proportion of patients progress to the point where they need a cornea transplant. Some of the common ectatic diseases include Keratoconus, Pellucid marginal degeneration, Terriens marginal degeneration etc.

CORNEAL INJURY

Corneal injuries may result from severe blunt trauma or penetrating injuries. The aim is to restore and maintain the integrity of the globe, avoid further intraocular damage, and prevent permanent corneal scarring and astigmatism.

Surgical facilities offered by the cornea service:

CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION

A corneal transplant involves replacing a diseased or scarred cornea with a new one. In corneal transplant surgery, the surgeon removes the central portion of the cloudy cornea and replaces it with a clear cornea. The chances of success of this operation have risen dramatically because of technological advances. Corneal transplantation has restored sight to many, who a generation ago would have been blinded permanently by corneal injury, infection, or inherited corneal disease or degeneration.Recent modified form of corneal transplant called Lamellar Keratoplasty is also performed. This involves removing only the partial thickness of the cornea that is diseased leaving the rest of the healthy cornea of the patient undisturbed. Lamellar Keratoplasty is of two types: