Transplanted Keratoconus Patient with Hydrops

The patient standing next to me in this photo has an advanced case of keratoconus in both eyes. Earlier this year the pressure within his left eye against a thinned out cornea caused the most posterior membrane in this cornea to tear which allowed fluid from within the eye to enter the center of the cornea. This condition is called “hydrops”. This resulted in a cloudy haze directly opposite the pupil in this eye. The visual acuity in his left eye became severely compromised which necessitated the need for a corneal transplant. For a number of years he has been successfully wearing a GVR lens on his right eye which is allowing him to see clearly (20/20 vision) and comfortably with all day lens wear. 6 weeks ago he received a corneal transplant in his left eye. As can be seen in the photo below, the transplanted cornea is clear and no inflammation has taken place in the eye. It is my hope that in 6 or 7 months we will be able to place a scleral lens on this eye. At the present time, this eye has no functional vision. As the healing process takes place over the coming months, stitches may have to be removed causing a change in the shape of the cornea. It is my expectation that once he is fit with a scleral lens his corrected visual acuity will be very close to 20/20.