Corneal Transplants & Tattoo in Brookfield, WI

Your cornea is the transparent front layer of your eye that covers your pupil and iris. When your cornea is malformed or damaged, Dr. Weinlander can perform corneal transplant surgery to remove your damaged tissue and replace it with the cornea of a donor.

There are several types of corneal transplants, depending on whether your cornea needs to be replaced in part or in full.

The endothelium is the innermost layer of your cornea. Dr. Weinlander offers both Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) to treat diseases of the corneal endothelium. The difference is the thickness of the donor cornea. DSAEK transplants provide thicker corneas.

Dr. Weinlander also offers Descemet’s stripping only (DSO) procedures, one of the few ophthalmologists to do so in the Milwaukee area. During this corneal surgery, he removes the diseased part of your endothelium and prescribes an eyedrop that helps your healthy cells grow back.

Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) replaces your entire cornea with donor tissue. Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) replaces the outer (Bowman’s layer/epithelium) and middle (stroma) layers of your cornea.

Some of the warning signs of a potential problem with your cornea include eye pain, blurred vision, or cloudy vision. Dr. Weinlander provides thorough eye exams to identify the specific issue affecting your cornea.

Some of the common corneal conditions that need to be repaired with a transplant include:

• Bullous keratopathy
• Keratoconus
• Fuchs’ dystrophy
• Traumatic eye injuries

A corneal transplant is an outpatient procedure that takes anywhere from 15 minutes to about an hour. The time of your treatment depends on the type of transplant your cornea requires.

At your evaluation, Dr. Weinlander will recommend the best type of surgery to treat your specific condition. If you’re looking for an expert, fellowship-trained corneal surgeon, call Milwaukee Eye Surgeons or schedule an appointment with Dr. Weinlander online today.

A corneal tattoo involves placing pigment into the cornea to block excess light from causing symptoms such as glare and halos due to iris defects.

Common conditions that cause iris defects requiring corneal tattoo include aniridia, iris iridotomy, and ocular trauma or eye surgery causing iris loss.

If you have intractable glare following the formation of an iris defect, call Milwaukee Eye Surgeons or schedule an appointment with Dr. Weinlander online today.