About Cornea Services
The cornea is the clear curved structure on the very outside of the eye, it is a person’s ‘window’ to the outside world. It allows transmission of light into the eye and helps to focus the light on to the retina- the photographic layer of the eye.
What conditions do we treat?
Corneal diseases can cause blurred vision or sometimes pain for patients. The Manchester Royal Eye hospital treats patients for a number of conditions which affect the cornea and ocular surface to reduce the symptoms experienced by patients.
Some of the most common conditions are listed below:
- Keratoconus – is an eye disease that causes the central area of the cornea to become weak and thinner, making the shape ‘bulge’ in an irregular manner. This can result in distorted vision as the eye cannot focus properly.
- Herpes Simplex Keratitis – is an infection of the cornea caused by the Herpes virus, which initially presents with pain, watering and redness.
- Fuch’s Endothelial Dystrophy (FED) – Fuch’s endothelial dystrophy (FED) is a slowly progressive disease and results in a slow loss of endothelial cells from the inner layer of the cornea. If the number of cells drops below a critical density the cornea will begin to become cloudy and blur the vision.
- Recurrent erosion syndrome (RES) – refers to repeated episodes of superficial, spontaneous abrasions leading to eye pain. Erosions are “scratches” on the surface of the cornea. RES typically occurs in eyes that have suffered from an abrasive injury such as from a fingernail or paper cut. The area heals initially, but is prone to recurrent erosions in the future.
- Dry eyes- this is due to reduction of tear production or excessive evaporation of tears and it is a chronic problem. This can be caused by a variety of conditions. Eye drops can help the majority of patients.
What treatments do we offer?
The Eye hospital are able to provide a variety of medical and surgical options for the conditions listed above, this includes medicinal eye drops and laser treatments. The treatments offered will depend on the individual patient and the corneal team will guide you through the options recommended for you. .