Ocular Surface Reconstruction in LOCATION1
Your eyes are constantly bathed in a film of tears and cleansed by your blinking eyelids. The ocular surface includes the eyelids, conjunctiva, and cornea -- all of which are required to protect against external debris and microorganisms.
The integrity of the ocular surface is very important to high-quality vision. Even the slightest damage to the eye can compromise vision.
Opthalmology Practice Name helps patients with ocular surface damage regain healthy eyes and clear vision. Call our eye care center in LOCATION1 to schedule your appointment.
Conditions That Cause Ocular Surface Damage
The following conditions and eye injuries can result in serious, long-term damage and may require ocular surface reconstruction:
- Corneal ulceration
- Ocular herpes
- Chemical burns on the eyes
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- Iridocorneal endothelial syndrome
- Keratitis
- Pterygium
What Types of Ocular Surface Reconstruction Are Available?
Your eye doctor will closely examine your eye, with a specific focus on the cornea, and determine whether the surface of your eye can be repaired. A damaged cornea that has a viable conjunctiva, the cornea’s protective layer, and a good-quality tear film has a chance of being successfully repaired through ocular surface reconstruction.
However, if the cornea is damaged to the extent that it is severely dry and [keratinized], a corneal transplant through a procedure called keratoprosthesis may be required.
Limbal Stem Cell Replacement
One key component of ocular surface reconstruction is limbal stem cells, which support the cornea and allow new corneal cells to grow to enable full healing. Corneal damage or disease can deplete these essential cells, also known as corneal epithelial stem cells, located between the cornea and the sclera.
Limbal stem cells play a vital role in the repair and regeneration of the cornea. They are responsible for replacing corneal cells lost to damage, injury or diseases. When there is a depletion in these important corneal cells, they can be replaced from limbal tissue collected from a donor, the patient’s unaffected eye, or through ex vivo cultivation.
A newer technique, known as Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation (SLET), places donor stem cells directly on the membranes of the patient’s eye without requiring prior growth in a laboratory.
Corneal Transplant
A corneal transplant replaces a damaged or diseased cornea with corneal tissue from a healthy donor. There are two main types of corneal transplants:
- Full-thickness corneal transplant (penetrating keratoplasty) (PK)
- Endothelial corneal transplant (endothelial keratoplasty) (EK)
A corneal transplant is required if the damaged eye tissue can’t be replaced by regenerated corneal layers. If the patient also suffers from a lack of limbal cells, limbal stem cell replacement is often done prior to the corneal transplant. That's because a transplant has a higher chance of success when a sufficient amount of limbal stem cells are present.
If you have a compromised cornea due to injury or eye disease, contact in LOCATION1 to schedule your appointment.
Our practice serves patients from CITY 1, CITY 2, CITY 3, and CITY 4, and surrounding communities.