Corneal transplantation is also known as keratoplasty. It is a surgery where your ophthalmologist removes part of your cornea. The professional then replace it with tissues from a donor.
Corneal Transplant Myths
The cornea is a surface, a layer of your eye that receives the light. You need a healthy cornea for good vision.
Keratoplasty reduces eye pain and swelling. It also restores vision and repairs your damaged cornea.
Corneal transplantations, in general, are successful. But patients may experience a rare complication. Their eye may reject the donated cornea.
The blessing of sight is the greatest gift you can give someone. You will live through the recipient’s eyes. You only have to pledge that your cornea is removed after your death.
Myths And Facts On Corneal Transplantation
Known colloquially as eye donation, the corneal donation is a scary process for many. This is due to the numerous myths and misconceptions spread among the general public. Given below are a few myths and their truths:
👉Myth 1: Eye donation, scientifically known as a corneal donation, may cause holes in my eye socket and may disfigure my face.
Fact: As the name suggests, an eye specialist needs only your cornea, not your entire eye. This, as mentioned above, is a layer in your eye. The process does not disfigure your face.
👉 Myth 2: If I donate my eye/cornea, I will be born blind in my next birth.
Fact: The gift of sight is a noble act of kindness. How can such a person be blind at the next birth?
👉 Myth 3: I had an eye disease in the past. And I am not eligible for corneal donation.
Fact: Your eye disease, if treated well, does not make you ineligible to donate your cornea. You can pledge it to be taken after your death.
👉 Myth 4: The elderly are not eligible for eye/cornea donation.
Fact: The minimum age for corneal donation is 1 year. After that, you can donate your cornea until you die. Age or even your mental health does not matter here.
👉 Myth 5: Indian corneas are not good enough.
Fact: Nationality is not a concern for doctors. They just check if your cornea is healthy enough for donation. Your caste, skin color, or gender does not have a say in this regard.
👉 Myth 6: Corneal transplantation is an experimental treatment.
Facts: Corneal transplantation is a successful surgical procedure. Complications seldom happen here. Millions of ophthalmologists perform this surgery on a daily basis.
👉 Myth 7: Doctors will not try to save my life if they find that I have pledged my organs for donation.
Facts: Doctors and nurses are there to save a life. They never show even the slightest negligence here. Transplantation comes to mind only when there is nothing doctors can do to save your life.
👉 Myth 8: I use spectacles and am not eligible for eye/cornea donation.
Poor vision does not make you ineligible to donate your eye. All you need is a healthy cornea.
👉 Myth 9: Doctors will sell my eye to wealthier patients.
Fact: A corneal donation is an act of kindness. Selling human organs or tissues is illegal in India.
👉 Myth 10: If I happen to fall into a state of comatose, doctors will harvest my eyes.
Fact: A person is considered to be a donor only after his death. Being in a state of comatose is entirely different from being declared brain-dead. You can come back to life any time from a state of comatose. But that never happens for a person declared brain-dead.
👉 Myth 11: You can stop using eye drops when your vision gets better.
Fact: You have to use eye drops for a year after corneal transplantation. This is done to avoid the likelihood of donor tissue rejection. Your ophthalmologist will adjust the dose of your immuno-suppressant as you feel better.
👉 Myth 12: If the body rejects a graft, the surgery gets repeated.
Fact: If you notice graft rejection on time, immuno-suppressants alone will reverse it. Surgery is required only when your eye drops fail.
👉 Myth 13: You can donate your cornea when alive.
Fact: You may donate your kidney or part of your liver when alive. But cornea is taken only after your death.
Donate your cornea. It is only a layer in your eye. The gift of sight is the noblest thing you can do for your fellow beings.
Also, read about the best eyewear for the face.
