Penetrating or lamellar corneal transplantation

Corneal transplantation (keratoplasty) can be penetrating, when it involves replacing the entire cornea, or lamellar or selective, when only the affected layers are replaced.

Therefore, depending on the location of the damage, different lamellar transplantation types are possible:

• Endothelial corneal transplantation (DMEK): when the lesion is produced on the endothelium or innermost layer.
• Anterior corneal transplantation: when the lesion is produced in the stroma, which represents 95% of the total thickness of the cornea.

Where the epithelium, the outermost layer, is affected, a corneal stem cell transplantation is required.

Keratoplasty is performed to maintain the transparency and regularity of the cornea and is especially recommended for patients who, due to diseases such as keratoconus or due to an accident, have damaged the entire thickness of the cornea or any of its layers. In this latter case, the IMO specialists generally recommend lamellar techniques, which are less invasive than penetrating keratoplasty.

70% of all corneal transplants performed at the Institute are selective, as they are less aggressive surgeries that cut down on recover time, improve the prognosis and reduce any short and long-term complications and the risk of rejection.