According to study, most of the Corneal Transplantation in India procedures is successful and it is performed by only highly skilled or trained eye surgeons, however, the cornea transplantation will carry a small risk of complications, such as rejection of the donor cornea which found in rare cases. The hospitals under We Care India have gained the prominence for its clinical outcomes and for the expertise available at these hospitals or clinics. The aim of the We Care India, a leading medical tourism company is to give sight to many more people in the years to come. This makes the We Care India as the best medical tourism company and people across the globe relay for their treatments.

Why the Procedure is Performed?

The eye surgeons perform the corneal transplantation to restore the vision for a person who has a damaged cornea.

With the help of the cornea transplantation, there are numbers of conditions can be treated which include the following:

• Thinning of the cornea
• Swelling of the cornea
• Clouding of the cornea
• Corneal ulcers, including those caused by infection

Before the Procedure

Before the Corneal Transplantation in India Procedure, you will undergo the followings:

• Your eye surgeon will properly conduct your eye examination and will look for the conditions which may cause complications after the surgery.
• Before your surgeon will proceed with corneal transplantation he/she will determine what size donor cornea you required.
• Your eye surgeon will properly review of all the medications and supplements which you are taking and he/she will advise you to stop taking certain medications or supplements before or after your cornea transplant to avoid the risk of unsuccessful treatment.
• Your eye surgeon will also look for other eye problems and if he/she found any other eye problems then they will first treat that problem such as infection or inflammation etc. which may reduce your chances of a successful cornea transplant. So before proceeding with the corneal transplant, your eye surgeon will work to treat those problems.
• Before proceeding with the corneal transplant your eye surgeon will find the best cornea donor which is usually a deceased donor and will match his/her cornea with you. After the cornea donor is confirmed the eye surgeon will begin the treatment.
• Your eye surgeon will discuss the success rates and the cost before they proceed with the procedure so that you will not end up with high bills.

Procedure for Corneal Transplantation

A cornea transplant is a procedure in which your diseased cornea will be replaced with healthy tissue from a cornea donor.

A cornea transplant is of two types: (i) traditional, full-thickness cornea transplant which is also known as penetrating keratoplasty or PK and (ii) back layer cornea transplant which is known as endothelial keratoplasty, or EK.

During a corneal transplantation procedure, a graft replaces the central corneal tissue which has been damaged due to disease or eye injury, with the healthy corneal tissue donated from a local eye bank or cornea donor. Your unhealthy cornea will affect your vision by scattering or distorting light and can cause glare and blurred vision. In such condition, your eye surgeon will recommend the corneal transplantation which restores your functional vision.

According to the study, the corneal eye disease is the fourth most common cause of blindness after cataracts and glaucoma and will affect the people across the globe. India is a country where eye surgeons at the network hospitals under We Care India will perform thousands of corneal transplants every year and people in larger number have achieved the successful sight restored after the corneal transplantation which allows them to see the beauty of the world.

Tissue Availability of Cornea Donors

The tissue availability of the cornea donor is very low almost everywhere. According to the study, the rate of acceptability of cornea donors at the eye banks in India is very less. The eye surgeons will evaluate the donor eyes under slit lamp and the tissue quality was categorized as: very good; good; fair, and poor as per the guidelines of the eye banks. The eye banks were studied around one hundred and eight eyes from 54 donors were studied and they found the people under the age of 39 years have the visibility of 36% which is considered as very good to good quality and were acceptable for grafting either for optical or therapeutic purposes. The people above the age of 60 years have the visibility of eyes which were not acceptable owing to fair to poor tissue quality. Twenty-three of 50 tissues available from donors aged 75 years or younger were acceptable.

Risks in Corneal Transplant Surgery

As with any eye surgery, there is the possibility of a loss of sight in the eye, loss of the entire eye or possible loss of life due to abnormal reactions to anesthesia. The risks are very small, but it is very important that you be aware that risks exist as with ant other surgical procedure.

Although cornea transplants are highly successful, unfortunately, there can be no guarantees with corneal transplant surgery, just as there can be no guarantees with any other type of surgery. Some of the possible complications that could occur are an infection, bleeding, glaucoma, a wound leak, poor wound healing, and failure or rejection of the transplant. If a transplant should fail, it does not mean blindness or loss of the eye. Rather a subsequent transplant may be performed with a good chance of success.

The Procedure of Cornea Transplant in India

Cornea Transplant in India is a surgical procedure in which your surgeon will replace the part of your cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. The cornea is a transparent, dome-shaped surface of your eye which contains a larger part of your eye’s focusing power. According to the study, cornea transplant is performed by a highly qualified and experienced eye surgeon through which your vision can be restored also cornea transplant reduces pain and improve the appearance of a damaged or diseased cornea. It has been found that most of the cornea transplant procedures are successful; however, some of them carry a small risk of complications which could be the rejection of the donor cornea.

Why a Cornea Transplant is Performed?

The surgeon at the hospitals under We Care India performs the cornea transplant which helps in restoring vision to a person who has a damaged cornea. The other purpose to perform cornea transplant is to provide relief from pain or other signs and symptoms can also be treated which are associated with diseases of the cornea.

The following are the conditions which can be treated with a cornea transplant and these are:

• Clouding of the cornea
• A cornea which bulges outward
• A thin cornea
• Any complications that have been caused in previous eye surgery
• A cornea which gets swell
• Scarring of the cornea which is caused by infection or injury
• Corneal ulcers which are caused by infection

Results after Surgery

Your vision will be initially worse than before the surgery because the new cornea will take several months to adjust in your eye. It has been found that once your outer layer of cornea is healed, your eye surgeon will work to make the adjustments to improve your vision, such as the stitches which hold the cornea of donor which may cause dips in your cornea which can make your vision blurry but your eye surgeon will treat them by releasing some stitches and tightening other ones.

How much does the Cornea Transplant Cost in India?

The Cornea transplant cost in India will range between USD 1,000 to USD 2,500 which is very reasonable as compared to the cost of cornea transplant in other western countries like the USA, UK, Russia, Australia, etc.

India is a country where the cost of corneal transplant varies from clinic to clinic and city to city. E.g., If you visit Delhi for corneal transplant then it will cost you between USD 700 to USD 1500 and the Cornea Transplant cost in Mumbai ranges between USD 900 to USD 1800. The variation in cost is due to the taxes applied and the charges of the eye surgeons.

Surgery offered by We Care Health Services

• Penetrating Keratoplasty
• DALK – Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty
• DSEK -Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty