When Should I Go To Ophthalmologist..!
How To Care About My Contact Lenses..!
THE DAY OF
SURGERY
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Surgery is
often done on an outpatient basis.
You may be asked to
skip breakfast, depending
on the time of your
surgery. Once you arrive for surgery, you will be given eyedrops and
perhaps a sedative to help you relax.
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Either
local or general anesthesia is used,
depending on your
age, medical condition and eye disease. You will not see the surgery
while it is happening. Your eye will be held open with a
lid speculum or
other method.
THE OPERATION.
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The
eyelids are gently opened. The ophthalmologist
will view your eye through a microscope and
measure your eye for
the corneal transplant.
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The
diseased or injured cornea is carefully
removed from the eye.
Any necessary additional
work within the eye,
such as removal of a
cataract, is
completed. Then the clear donor
cornea is sewn into
place.
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When the
operation is over, the doctor wilt usually
place a shield over your eye.
AFTER SURGERY
If you are an outpatient, you may go home after a
short stay in the
recovery area. You should plan to have someone else drive you home. An
examination
at the doctor's office will be scheduled for
the following
day.
You will need to:
$ use the eyedrops as
prescribed;
$ be careful not
to rub or press on your eye;
$
use over-the-counter
pain medicine,
if necessary;
$
continue normal daily
activities,
except exercise;
$ ask your doctor
when you can begin driving;
$
wear eyeglasses or
an eye shield as advised by
your doctor;
$
if you have any
questions about your home
care instructions,
call your doctor.
Your ophthalmologist will decide when to remove the stitches,
depending upon the health of the eye and rate of healing. Usually, it
will be several
months before
stitches are removed.
What complications can occur?
$
Corneal transplants
are rejected 5% to 30% of
the time. The
rejected cornea clouds and vision deteriorates.
Most rejections, if treated promptly, can be
stopped with
minimal
injury. Warning signs of rejection are:
r persistent discomfort;
r light
sensitivity;
r redness;
r change in
vision.
Any of these symptoms should be reported to
your ophthalmologist immediately.
Other possible
complications include:
r infection;
r bleeding;
r swelling or
detachment of the retina;
r glaucoma.
All of these complications can be treated.