Corneal Transplant Surgery Procedure

The corneal transplant Surgery procedure has evolved over the last century. Today, it is safely and routinely performed as an outpatient procedure on thousands of patients each year, by experienced cornea specialists, like Russell Van Norman, MD. The corneal transplant procedure can be accomplished through various methods, which are determined based on the patient’s particular disease or type of eye damage.

Maintaining the best eye care health is Dr. Van Norman’s number one priority with all of his patients.

Types of Cornea Transplants:

There are two main types of cornea transplants: traditional, full thickness corneal transplant (also known as penetrating keratoplasty, or PK) and posterior layer cornea transplant (also known as endothelial keratoplasty, or EK). One of the most exciting innovations in corneal transplantation is two newer techniques called DSAEK and DMEK

Corneal eye disease is the fourth most common cause of blindness (after cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration) and affects more than 10 million people worldwide. Since 1961, more than one million people have had their sight restored with a cornea transplant.

What is the Cornea?

The cornea is analogous to a clear watch crystal or window on the front surface of the eye. Light must pass through the cornea before the incredibly complex and miraculous visual process can occur. For those who want to better understand the topic, it’s worth exploring masterarbeit schreiben lassen. When the cornea is structurally altered by trauma or certain diseases, it becomes cloudy and often, vision is impaired. In such cases a corneal transplant is needed to restore sight.

A healthy, clear cornea is essential for good vision. If your cornea is damaged due to eye disease or eye injury, it can become swollen, scarred or severely misshapen and distort your vision. Occasionally, either through disease or injury, the corneal tissue is damaged to a point where light can no longer effectively pass through it, resulting in reduced vision.

When do you need a corneal transplant?

Where indicated by an ophthalmologist, corneal transplants may be performed which replace the damaged cornea with a clear donor cornea. This is an extremely delicate microsurgical procedure. A cornea transplant may be necessary if eyeglasses or contact lenses can’t restore your functional vision, or if painful swelling can’t be relieved by medications or special contact.

Dangerous Conditions:
Certain conditions might affect the clarity of your cornea and vision, putting you at greater risk of corneal failure. Some of these dangerous conditions include:

Excessive swelling (edema) of the cornea.

Chemical burns of the cornea, or damage from another type of eye injury.

Scarring resulting from infections, such as eye herpes or fungal keratitis.

Scarring from trichiasis; where eyelashes grow inwardly, toward the eye, rubbing against the cornea.

Some hereditary conditions or diseases such as Fuchs’ dystrophy.

Thinning of the cornea and irregular corneal shape (as with keratoconus).

Rare complications resulting from LASIK surgery, or corneal failure due to cataract surgery complications.

Graft rejection following a previous corneal transplant.

Shreveport Eye Specialists - Corneal transplantation

Endothelial Dystrophy procedure is used to visually rehabilitate patients with Fuchs’ Endothelial Dystrophy and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. These procedures are performed in a fraction of the time required by the older, more conventional transplant procedure known as PKP (penetrating keratoplasty). Other exciting innovations also have occurred in ALK (anterior lamellar keratoplasty). ALK is used to visually rehabilitate patients with keratoconus, corneal scars, and irregular corneas following RK or LASIK surgery. The beauty of this procedure is that the patients can be rehabilitated with no fear of corneal endothelial graft rejection.

Once the decision has been made, you will be less anxious and feel more in control if you know what to expect – what the “normal” routine is for this type of surgery. The more information you have, the more prepared you will be.

Patient Reviews

4.8

Based on 261 reviews

Update #2: After four business days, four phone calls, and stopping by in person, finally got a call back. No record in my chart that my symptoms were documented or cleared at all. No check for the one thing that absolutely needs to be checked before prescribing those drops. What a joke.

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Update: Doctor prescribed two different eye drops which both caused eye pain and severe blurry vision. I tried for nearly a week to get ahold of someone by phone about that, and I even stopped by in person after my calls were not returned, but the only info I could get from the doctor was "I wouldn't have prescribed them if I thought there would be an issue." No instructions on whether or not to discontinue them, no explanation about whether or not the side effects were expected or temporary, no guidance at all. Multiple messages left over multiple days, no calls returned. No confirmation that they even checked for what the paperwork for the drops warned that they needed to check for.

Spend your money elsewhere!

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The doctor was more interested in lecturing me about the perils of online glasses than listening to my actual symptoms and my reason for visiting in the first place. They did not give me a chance to explain what vision issues I was having before they rushed me through a standard exam and ushered me out. My issues remain unresolved.

They also insisted on calling in a prescription to an out-of-town pharmacy, which then charged me for shipping. I was given no choice to use my preferred pharmacy, so I can only conclude they somehow profit off that relationship. They also tried to have me pay an inflated in-person price for OTC eye treatment that I already owned.

Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations.

Our goal at Shreveport Eye Specialists is to listen carefully to each patient’s concerns and provide clear explanations about exam findings and prescriptions. Sometimes adjustments to a prescription can take time for the eyes and brain to adapt, especially when there are changes that affect how objects appear or how near vision feels. That said, we always want our patients to feel heard and comfortable asking questions about their symptoms.

We would welcome the opportunity to review your concerns and make sure your vision needs are addressed. Please contact our office so we can discuss your experience and determine how we can help moving forward. Your feedback is important to us and helps us continue improving the care we provide.

Went in for eye exam, they said I needed cataract surgery. OK. Had surgery, reading vision improved waited appropriate time before getting new prescription. I was still having problems with distance so they did YAGS. Over 6 months later, still having distance problem. I worked 10 years with Visual Impaired students and do not trust them enough to go back.
Update: thanks to Dr. Borel for working with me and addressing my problems. Hopefully we are are the right track.

Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We were glad to have the opportunity to update your eye screening and to make an adjustment to your glasses.

If you have any additional concerns in the meantime, please feel free to contact our office and speak with our clinical team. Your vision and comfort are important to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to continue caring for you.

Every time I have been here with an "appointment" I always still have to wait 45+ mins to been seen. They seem to always over book patients. I don't understand why they even make Appointments. They need a new appointment staff!!

Staff was very professional, kind, thorough and helpful! Looking forward to future visits!

Went on appointment to get a DBQ & Nexus letters done for VA claim and they wouldn't write my letter because they say they don't take my United healthcare or my VA medical insurance. Man what a kick in the teeth and I'm a USAF VETERAN that need the letter done buy doctor that diagnosed my condition. It's just a letter that the diagnosing doctor only can write. So out done, bad enough serving your country even worse when the eye doctor that diagnosed you and did your Lazer percedure want even write a letter on a piece of paper for you!!!!!!! PS(When I came to your office for a scheduled visit you should've just wrote me a Nexus letter for free just because I'm your patient and also a paying patient.The Nexus letter was your responsibility and used at va claims for va claims. You diagnosed my Glaucoma and did my Lazer percedure.It's sad that you told me to leave just because you no longer take my insurance.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your feedback. First and foremost, we want to express our deep appreciation for your service. We truly value the opportunity to care for our veterans and are always honored to be part of their healthcare team.

To clarify, in order to accurately and ethically complete the paperwork you've requested—such as DBQ and Nexus letters—we are required to have a current eye exam on file. It's been several years since your last visit, and without an up-to-date exam, we cannot provide clinical documentation or forms related to your vision or eye condition.

While we are not currently in-network with your insurance, we would still be glad to see you and provide the care and updated records you need. Our goal is never to turn anyone away, but to ensure that any medical forms we complete are based on current, accurate evaluations.

We understand your frustration and would be happy to discuss your options if you'd like to schedule an updated exam. Please feel free to call our office—we're here to help.

Do not make the mistake of purchasing your glasses from 20/20 Optics at Shreveport Eye Specialists unless you are seeking absolute incompetence. In that case, look no further, for you have found the masters of remarkable ineptitude in the field of eyeglasses. Two months of back-and-forth with 20/20 Optics and I still have yet to receive the correct pair of glasses. 20/20 Optics has done everything except place an order for the correct combination of frames and lenses.

As a testament to 20/20 Optics' gross ineptitude, I am currently wearing their third failed attempt at ordering the correct glasses, and am eagerly awaiting the fourth attempt, which I dare say will also be a failure. What a challenge it must be to enter the correct numbers from the given prescription into the system and place the order. If somehow this remarkable feat is achieved, expect the lenses to be scratched. Spare yourself the (literal) headache of not being able to see due to 20/20 Optics!

Edit: If 20/20 Optics spent as much time working as they do responding to Google reviews, they would’ve made the glasses right the first time.

Response from the owner:We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience with our optical department. Our 5-star team strives to provide high-quality eyewear and attentive service, and it’s disappointing to know we did not meet your expectations.

We understand how important it is to receive glasses that fit comfortably and provide clear vision, and our staff has worked diligently to remake your lenses multiple times to ensure you are satisfied. While this process has taken longer than anticipated, please know our intention has always been to resolve the issue and provide you with eyewear that meets your needs.

We appreciate your feedback.

Haven't seen Dr. Van Norman in many years!! Started having issues and had no problem getting an appointment. His staff were very friendly and helpful. They all answered my questions and concerns.

Good honey white time. Good experience.

Dr. Van Norman & all of his staff members were excellent. My procedure: cataract removals & LASIX was completely pain free & I have terrific results. Thank you all!

Your Vision Is Our Focus!

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