Recently, amniotic membrane transplantation for corneal disorders is gaining popularity, but is it a good option for your eye problem? Or should you stick with traditional surgical methods? Don’t worry, we’ll help you decide which option is best for you. Learn about amniotic membrane transplantation vs. traditional transplantation surgical outcomes in this article. Visit our clinic or check our website at https://www.ophthalmologybrooklyn.com to see all the services that can help you manage your eye condition.

AMT and its surgical outcomes

This is the new proven treatment for ocular surface disorders such as chemical burns, persistent epithelial defects, corneal ulcers that don’t respond to conventional medical treatment, adhesions, and infections of the conjunctiva.

During this surgery, your doctor will use an anesthetic eye drop to numb the front of your eye before the procedure to reduce discomfort. Then, the doctor clears wrinkled tissue by excision and replaces it with an amniotic membrane. The doctor lets it stay in your eye depending on your requirement (typically up to one week). During this time, your eyes heal as the membrane contains substances that divide and grow. Those cells contain unique properties that make them ideal grafting material. It has anti-inflammatory effects and promotes the formation of new epithelium, which can restore corneal wounds. It also provides natural support for cell migration and proliferation, which reduces discomfort and post-operative complications. In the eye, the membrane will slowly dissolve as it does its work.

AMT surgical outcomes have an extremely high success rate and are recommended by experienced ophthalmic surgeons who specialize in eye surface reconstruction. Depending on the severity of the condition, complicating factors help to determine how the procedure is performed and how quickly the patient will recover. After surgery, patients may need to be fitted with bandage contact lenses and instructed to use antibiotic and corticosteroid eye drops several times a day. These drops are preservative-free and require refrigeration and some care when handling.

Stitches will be removed anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks after the surgery. Some patients may report extraordinarily little eye discomfort immediately after surgery. In the case of more complicated conditions, or in people who have sensitivities or allergies to preservative-free eye drops, some pain or burning may occur. The symptoms will go away with time as the surgical site heals. However, it is important to contact your surgeon if you experience any pain or discomfort after surgery so that the surgeon can make necessary adjustments to treatment immediately.

Corneal surgery procedure and its outcomes

Corneal surgery is used to correct vision problems caused by corneal diseases like glaucoma, a detached retina, corneal ulcers, bullous keratopathy, keratoconus, degenerative change, and the retina has been damaged or destroyed so much so that nothing can restore lost sight.

Its success rate can be as high as 80% and as low as 20% depending on certain factors like severity of the disease, state of donor’s cornea, surgical technique and skill, the healing ability of recipient cornea, sensitivity reactions between donor and recipient cornea which lead to transplant rejection, etc.

There are 3 major surgical options for cornea transplant based on the layer of the cornea. All these corneal transplants use corneas from deceased human organ donors. Every donor cornea undergoes thorough testing to ensure it is safe for transplant. These include:

1. Penetrating keratoplasty: In this procedure, your surgeon uses a small circular blade to remove the entire part of the damaged cornea and replaces it with a healthy, same-shaped piece of donor cornea. It is also known as full-thickness cornea transplantation. This surgery was developed over 100 years ago, and the modern version of this surgery helps thousands of people each year.
2. Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty: This procedure is used when the innermost layer of your cornea is healthy and the damage lies in the middle and outer layers, your surgeon may perform a partial thickness cornea transplant. During this surgery, your surgeon removes the middle and outer layers of your cornea and replaces them with healthy donated corneal tissue.
3. Endothelial keratoplasty: This surgery is used if you have damaged the innermost layer of your cornea, the endothelium, which rests on the Descemet’s membrane. Surgeons perform two types of endothelial keratoplasty surgeries:

• Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK).
• Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).

Both surgeries involve removing damaged endothelial tissue and replacing it with healthy donor tissue, however, the only difference is the thickness of the donor cornea used. In DSAEK thicker endothelial tissue is used, while DMEK uses a thinner one. You and your surgeon will decide which type of transplant is best for you depending on your specific eye condition.

Endothelial keratoplasty procedures need fewer sutures than other keratoplasty procedures. Instead, it uses an air bubble technique to keep the donor cornea in position. To increase the chance of success, you need to lie facing up when you rest or sleep for the first few days after surgery because it helps the air bubble keep your transplanted corneal tissue in place.

All these procedures are performed on the patient under the influence of anesthesia. All these procedures may last up to 2 hours. You need to wear an eye patch after the procedure, and after 24 to 48 hours (about 2 days) you need to visit the doctor for a follow-up appointment. They remove the eye patch to check if your eye is healing. The prescribed eye drops prevent infection, reduce swelling, and prevent inflammation. Depending on the type of stitches and corneal procedure you have, some stitches may need to stay for several months.

You rarely develop side effects from cornea surgery; however, it may carry the risk of infection, bleeding, fluid leakage, detached retina, or loss of visual acuity.

Amniotic membrane and cornea transplantation are both good and viable options for fixing eye problems. Amniotic membrane transplantation is a new procedure, which offers restoration benefits for both corneal and amniotic membrane grafts, while cornea surgery doesn’t offer such benefits. In addition, amniotic membrane transplantation also offers fast recovery and stitch removal compared to cornea transplant surgeries. However, a cornea transplant is still widely recommended for its better outcomes and rare side effects.

Need help with eye problems, visit our ophthalmology clinic in Brooklyn for proper medical diagnosis and treatment. Call us to book your appointment today. At Doral Health and Wellness Ophthalmology Center, our eye doctors can help you recover from all types of eye conditions and diseases. To schedule an appointment, please call us at 1-347-384-5690 or visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212. You can also visit our website at https://www.ophthalmologybrooklyn.com.