The benefits of an innovative cornea transplant procedure

The video above is a BBC Look North segment featuring a new cornea transplant technique performed by James Ball, Ophthalmic Surgeon based in Leeds, UK.

A new cornea transplant procedure is being offered to people in the region who are in danger of going blind. This operation is quicker, less risky and offers a better long-term outcome than traditional cornea transplants.

The old-style full cornea transplant requires up to 18 months of recovery but this pioneering eye transplant needs only three months. Not only the timing recovery is less but also this technique has lower risk and can be done under local anaesthetic.

An eye that had a traditional full-thickness cornea transplant has an evident star stitches and all the structure over the eye used to have to be replaced, instead with the new transplant procedure, said doctor James Ball: “What we’re able to do now, to permit our patients to recover their vision very quickly, only with a couple of weeks the eye is much stronger and has much lower risk” says Mr Ball

“It’s fantastic. It’s just a real joy to see how much more quickly they are able to return to their normal activities so they’re back playing with their grandchildren, driving their car, playing golf. We could do that with the old-fashioned operation, but it would take months and we’d tell patients that in 18 months time they should be back doing the things that they enjoy”. Today, recovery takes a matter of weeks.