Introduction – corneal opacity
Corneal edema (swelling of the cornea) is caused by damage to the pumping cells on the back surface of the cornea (corneal endothelial cells), causing fluid to enter the cornea. As a result, the cornea thickens and becomes cloudy, with a corresponding reduction in vision. In the advanced stage of corneal edema, small bubbles on the surface of the cornea can burst, causing pain, light sensitivity and an increased risk of infection from bacterial corneal ulcers.
Especially if the corneal opacities are located in the center of the cornea, they can lead to blurred or blurred vision. This reduces vision and sometimes the image appears distorted. By means of anamnesis (questioning the patient), eye test and magnified examination of the eye, an examination is performed to determine the exact corneal disease.
In many cases, corneal clouding and scars on the cornea cannot be eliminated by conservative therapy, so that treatment will result in a long-term transplantation of a donor cornea. Donor corneas are allocated through so-called corneal banks. In the case of corneal transplants planned for the long term, long waiting times can occur, but in the case of an emergency operation (keratoplasty à chaud) the waiting list is bypassed in order to be able to preserve the eye.
The donated organ preparations come from deceased people who agreed to the transplantation during their lifetime. The corneas are examined for diseases before the operation and are pre-treated for surgery. Corneal transplantation (penetrating keratoplasty) is performed under local anesthesia with eye drops or by injection behind or next to the eyeball (retro- or parabulbar anesthesia) or under general anesthesia.
The patient’s cornea is first cut out under the surgical microscope, and then the donor cornea, which has been cut to size, is attached with sutures. The suture material is usually removed after one year. After the operation, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drops or eye ointments are used.
In most cases, where the disease is already very advanced, a corneal transplant is the only way to prevent impending blindness. However, if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage and only superficial layers of the cornea are scarred, laser therapy can be useful. The following articles may also be of interest to you:
- In the so-called “phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK)”, the scarred layers are heated and removed by local application of laser.
By removing the affected layers, the turbidity can be reduced.
- Laser therapy for astigmatism
- Laser therapy for myopia
- Laser therapy for farsightedness
In most cases, corneal opacities can only be removed by laser therapy or surgical treatment. In rare cases, it may be useful to treat symptoms by means of homeopathy. However, homeopathy should always only be a complementary method to surgical therapy.
- Medications such as eyebright (Euphrasia) can counteract irritation or inflammation.
- For the prevention of corneal opacities, agents such as Apis mellifica or Graphites can help. However, an application should always be discussed with the treating physician.
