The cornea is the clear front surface of the eye and provides much of the eye’s focusing power. Disease, injury, infection, scarring, irregular shape, or inherited conditions can reduce clarity and distort vision. Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare evaluates corneal conditions for patients in Buffalo and Western New York through its Amherst and Niagara Falls offices. Treatment may involve glasses or specialty contact lenses, medication, treatment of the ocular surface, laser or other procedures, or corneal surgery. The recommendation depends on diagnosis, severity, corneal measurements, eye health, prior surgery, and the patient’s visual needs.
Michael J. Endl, M.D., describes corneal care and advanced corneal grafting as part of his clinical experience. Patients may also receive coordinated care from the practice’s ophthalmologists and optometrists.
Conditions That May Affect the Cornea
- Keratoconus or another irregular corneal shape
- Corneal scars from injury, infection, inflammation, or previous surgery
- Fuchs dystrophy or another inherited corneal disorder
- Recurrent erosion or surface disease
- Dry eye or eyelid problems affecting the ocular surface
- Corneal swelling, degeneration, or transplant-related concerns
- Complications related to contact lenses, trauma, or prior refractive surgery
How Corneal Problems Are Evaluated
Testing may include visual acuity and refraction, slit-lamp examination, corneal mapping or topography, thickness measurement, endothelial-cell evaluation, tear-film assessment, and review of previous procedures or contact-lens use. Additional testing is selected according to the suspected condition and whether surgery is being considered.
Non-Surgical and Surgical Treatment
Some conditions can be managed with medication, lubrication, eyelid or dry-eye treatment, glasses, rigid or specialty contact lenses, or protective strategies. Other conditions may require removal of damaged surface tissue, laser treatment, cross-linking when appropriate and available, partial-thickness or full-thickness corneal transplantation, or another procedure. The benefits and limitations vary by diagnosis and should be discussed in relation to the patient’s examination findings.
Corneal Transplantation
Corneal transplant procedures replace diseased or damaged corneal tissue with donor tissue. Different techniques replace different layers of the cornea. The chosen approach depends on which layer is affected, other eye disease, prior surgery, visual potential, and surgeon judgment. Recovery and medication requirements can extend over months, and rejection, infection, pressure changes, astigmatism, graft failure, or additional surgery are possible.
Corneal Care and Vision Correction
Irregular corneal shape, scarring, thin corneas, dry eye, or previous surgery can affect candidacy for LASIK, SMILE, PRK, or another vision correction procedure. A corneal evaluation may identify a safer alternative or show that elective surgery should not be performed.
Symptoms That Need Prompt Evaluation
Seek prompt care for sudden vision loss, severe pain, chemical exposure, trauma, a new painful red eye, marked light sensitivity, or a painful contact-lens-related eye. These symptoms may indicate infection, inflammation, or injury.
Schedule a Corneal Evaluation
Call 1-800-309-2020 or request an appointment. Patients can also review dry eye care, vision correction options, and the ophthalmologist team.
Patient Education Source
This page provides general education. Corneal diagnosis and treatment require an individual examination.
