Corneal Transplantation

The cornea is the clear dome of tissue which covers the colored part of the eye, or the iris. The cornea is responsible for letting light into the eye, and it has a certain refractive power to focus the light before it enters the crystalline lens. Some people may inherit a corneal disorder such as Fuch’s Dystrophy or Keratoconus which distorts and inhibits the proper transmission of light. Other individuals have a history of corneal infection or inflammation, which leaves the normally clear tissue scarred and opaque. These conditions often require a corneal transplant surgery.

Corneal transplant surgery is an operation in which a patient’s damaged cornea is replaced with a healthy donated human corneal tissue. This procedure is performed in an operating room using local anesthesia and is virtually painless. Corneal transplantation is a sight-restoring modality which gives patients back the clear, unobstructed vision that they once had

The vision recovery after corneal transplantation is much more gradual than that after cataract surgery and laser vision correction. Full vision recovery can take 3-12 months (or even longer).

Dr. Cottle is a fellowship-trained corneal surgeon and has been performing corneal transplant procedures since 2000. She is among the busiest corneal surgeons in the greater Austin area, and receives referrals for corneal transplant procedures from all over Texas.