Wills Eye Cornea specialists treat all corneal conditions including corneal swelling after cataract surgery, Fuchs corneal dystrophy (which can cause corneal swelling either before or after cataract surgery), keratoconus (thin, irregular cornea often starting in childhood or young adulthood), and recurrent erosion syndrome (episodes of eye pain often in the middle of the night or upon awakening). We also treat many patients with symptoms of eye dryness and grittiness, often caused by ocular dryness (not making enough tears) or eyelid inflammation (often from blepharitis or meibomitis when the eyelid oils aren’t produced properly and don’t coat the surface of the eye as they should). We see many patients with corneal infections (often from contact lens use and trauma), herpes simplex eye infections (the same virus that can cause cold sores around the mouth and face) and herpes zoster eye infections (the virus that causes shingles).
For corneal swelling we perform a variety of endothelial keratoplasty procedures which transplant the back layers of the cornea including DMEK (Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty) and DSEK (Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty). In some cases, we may be able to improve the condition by removing the abnormal calls without a corneal transplant (Descemet’s stripping only or DSO).
