Who Is Corneal Transplant Surgery For?

Over 40,000 people undergo a cornea transplant in the United States each year. Corneal transplant surgery is recommended for people who have:

• Vision problems are caused by thinning of the cornea, most often due to keratoconus. A cornea transplant may be considered when less invasive treatments are not an option.
• Scarring of the cornea from severe infections or injuries
• Vision loss is caused by cloudiness of the cornea, most often due to Fuchs’ dystrophy

During these procedures, damaged tissue on the eye’s clear surface – the cornea – is replaced.

Replacing The Cornea

As the front, clear layer of the eye, corneas are a unique part of the body and feature five layers (from front to back); Corneal epithelium, Bowman’s layer, Corneal stroma, Descemet’s membrane, and Corneal endothelium. Problems with any of these layers can cause blurred vision, glare, and distortion.

Up until 2006, when the cornea became cloudy, transplant procedures required the removal of all five layers of the cornea and replaced it entirely. This required a lengthy and uncertain visual recovery period. In 2006, Dr. Kevin Lavery was the first in Michigan to perform Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK).

This was a vast improvement as the top two layers of the cornea were undisturbed. Now we have Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). DMEK is not only changing the way cornea transplants are performed, but also improving the results. With this procedure, only the innermost layers are replaced. Removing fewer layers means a more pure replacement.

The DMEK procedure targets patients whose inner endothelial cell layer is diminished and the stroma is becoming waterlogged. The cornea’s transparency is dependent on its inner cells’ ability to pump fluids – and when it fails, it swells and results in cloudy eyes.

Before DMEK, Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) was the most common transplant procedure.

Three Advantages of DMEK over DSAEK Corneal Transplant Surgery

Improved Vision

Greater portions of DMEK patients are attaining 20/20 vision or better following the procedure compared to DSAEK.

Improved Visual Recovery

While a patient’s vision is a bit fuzzy following the procedure, as the days progress it improves. For DMEK, the visual recovery path is much faster, taking only weeks instead of months. Patients are able to resume normal activities more quickly as well, as most are back to their regular activities within a week.

Reduced Risk of Rejection

When replacing the entire cornea, there is a risk of rejection. In procedures where all five layers are removed, rejection occurs in about 20% of the transplants. With DMEK, that risk is reduced to 1-2%.

The DMEK procedure takes about 30 to 40 minutes, a slightly longer procedure than DSAEK. However, the process is still being mastered, so it’ll likely soon become a shorter procedure. During the procedure, the patient is administered anesthesia and the diseased innermost layer of the cornea is carefully removed. Then, the healthy donor cornea is inserted and held in place by an air bubble, which goes away within the first week.

Specialty Eye Institute is proud to offer this procedure. It’s a procedure that requires a commitment from our entire team – from the staff to the eye doctors. Many eye surgeons in the state still aren’t performing this technique because of the steep learning curve and required training. Contact SEI today to learn more about corneal transplant surgery!

It’s that time of year again. The air is colder, nights are longer, and the thermostat is higher. Winter has arrived, and for many people, this means dry eyes. Many people experience irritation, scratchiness, and blurry vision of dry eyes during the winter months. Not only is this due to the relatively dry air outside, but the conditions inside are created by heaters. Luckily, in most cases, there are some simple home remedies that can help you with dry eyes through the winter with a little more comfort.

1. Keep eye drops (artificial tears) handy. One of the quickest ways to alleviate dry eyes is with the use of eye drops designed for replacing moisture in the eyes. Make sure to follow the directions on the label before applying.
2. Wear protective eyewear when outside. The winter wind can wreak havoc on your eyes. Finding a functional, and perhaps a fashionable, form of eye protection may help alleviate dry eyes.
3. Stay hydrated. Making sure your body has enough fluids to produce eye moisture is essential
4. Use a humidifier. The heat from your furnace can evaporate any existing moisture in the air quickly. Using humidifiers can help negate this effect.
5. Enjoy the comfort of a warm damp cloth over your eyes. Not only will this feel relaxing after a long day, but gently laying a compress over your eyes can help reduce the dryness. It is important to note that dry eyes may have underlying causes such as medication side effects.

If these home remedies do not relieve your symptoms or your dry eyes are chronic, it may be a good idea to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor. Although rare, vision loss can occur in some cases.

Join us tonight to celebrate the grand opening of our new Adrian office.Wednesday, October 7, 2015TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers
1801 W. Maumee Street / US-223
Suite 100
Adrian, MI 49221

• Join our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
• Tour our new office
• Meet the Doctors and Staff

 

TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers is pleased to announce the implementation of Clearwave Patient Registration Kiosks to their Michigan and Ohio locations. As the first physician group in Michigan to adopt the Clearwave technology, TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers again prove to be a leader of innovation in patient care. This new technology will be utilized to transform the patient check-in process, improving service and quality.

“Our goal in implementing Clearwave’s registration kiosks is to improve our patient’s overall experience when they come to us,” says Sharma Gaughan, Director of Patient Accounts. “This paperless system will increase the accuracy of our patient demographics. To register, patients will simply insert their driver’s license and insurance cards into the kiosk. The system will confirm the patient’s information in 8 seconds, reducing trips to and from the front desk, while eliminating repetitive paperwork, forms and any surprise billing errors.”

“We are very excited to have TLC Eyecare as our first Michigan based clinic,” says Gerard White, CEO of the Clearwave Corporation. “Clearwave has an average kiosk utilization of 90% across all of its clients. Our state of the art patient registration kiosk tightly integrates to any Practice Management. Clearwave accomplishes this by aligning the provider’s existing systems to communicate and gather information more effectively.”

“Our patients expect us to be a leader in eye care and customer service,” says Trent Roark, CEO of TLC Eyecare. “Meshing technology with the standard check-in process allows us to speed up the patient visit while improving our internal processes. Anyone that has previously used an ATM or airline kiosk will quickly see the similarities and ease of use.”