How much does a corneal transplant cost?

The current cost of corneal transplantation comes mainly from the cost of surgical operation, anesthesia, and intraoperative medications. There is no charge for transplant pieces that come from donations. Together with the cost of pre- and post-operative examinations, medications, etc., the cost ranges from$5,000 to$15,000. Corneal transplantation is the use of allogeneic normal clear tissue to replace cloudy diseased corneal tissue to restore sight to the affected eye or to control corneal disease. It has the highest success rate among allogeneic transplants and is one of the most important sight restoration procedures in ophthalmology. A corneal transplant is a procedure in which the diseased corneal tissue is removed and replaced with a clear, functioning cornea. Depending on the location of the corneal lesion, if it is in the center, then only the central portion is replaced; if it is located at the edge of the cornea, then replacing the cornea with a marginal lesion is sufficient. The indications are: corneal diseases that change the cornea from clear to cloudy and affect vision, such as corneal leukoplakia, corneal opacity, cone cornea, glaucoma or herpetic keratopathy caused by IOL surgery, corneal dystrophy, certain types of corneal ulcers, etc. The donor corneas used for corneal transplantation come from donations from others. Generally, healthy people between the ages of 6 and 60 are suitable corneal donors. Therefore, the cost of corneal transplantation is determined by factors such as regional differences, level of hospital, as well as the type of surgery and the drugs and instruments used.