Diagnosis, keratoconus, and transplant
The cornea is the eye's most powerful lens, and a lot of vision loss starts there before you ever notice it. We treat keratoconus at every stage, along with corneal dystrophies and scarring, with a full range of options from cross-linking to corneal transplant.
About the condition
The cornea is the clear, curved surface at the front of the eye. It works as the most powerful lens in your visual system, focusing light onto the retina and protecting the eye's inner structures. When it loses its shape, clarity, or integrity, vision becomes distorted, and without treatment the damage can become permanent.
The most common corneal condition is keratoconus, a progressive disease that thins and reshapes the cornea, usually starting in the teenage years. Other conditions include inherited dystrophies, scarring or infection-related opacities, degenerations, and ectasia that can develop after refractive surgery.
Our cornea department includes four fellowship-trained specialists and precision diagnostics: Pentacam corneal topography, specular microscopy, anterior segment OCT, and pachymetry. This lets us catch keratoconus at its earliest stages, while it can still be stopped in its tracks.
Treatment follows a step-by-step approach based on the stage of disease: corneal cross-linking to halt progression, intracorneal ring segments to reshape the curvature, and, when the cornea is already severely damaged, corneal transplant using a range of techniques. For the most complex cases where a transplant is not an option, we offer K-PRO keratoprosthesis.
Conditions we treat
Each condition has its own symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. If you recognize your symptoms in one of them, we can help.
The most common corneal condition. The cornea gradually thins and bulges into a cone shape. It usually starts in the teenage years and can progress into your 30s. Early detection lets us stop it before it causes permanent vision loss.
A group of inherited conditions that cause abnormal deposits or changes in the layers of the cornea. They typically affect both eyes symmetrically and progress slowly. Some require an endothelial transplant once they compromise clarity.
Loss of corneal clarity from scarring caused by past infections, trauma, or surgery. Light cannot pass through properly, so vision clouds over. Depending on how deep the scarring goes, treatment ranges from lamellar or penetrating transplant to keratoprosthesis.
An infection of the cornea caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites, common among contact lens wearers. It is an emergency: left untreated, it can leave permanent scarring or perforate the cornea. It needs immediate care.
Before and after
Slide the bar to compare. Keratoconus warps the cornea, producing blurry, distorted, ghosted vision that regular glasses can no longer fully correct.
Indications
You don't have to wait. Treatment is considered as soon as one or more of these signs appear.
You were diagnosed with keratoconus, or your astigmatism prescription keeps changing fast
Your vision is distorted or "stretched" and glasses do not fully correct it
You have a family history of keratoconus or corneal disease
You rub your eyes often and notice your vision getting worse
You have a corneal opacity, scar, or infection that is affecting your vision
Advanced procedures
A complete treatment ladder based on the stage of your cornea, from stopping progression to restoring clarity.
Stops Keratoconus Stops keratoconus progression by strengthening the corneal collagen with riboflavin and UV light. The first line of defense to catch the disease early.
For advanced cases Replaces a damaged or clouded cornea with healthy donor tissue. Modern techniques replace only the affected layer for a faster recovery.
Reversible Segments that reshape the cornea's curvature in keratoconus. Placed with a femtosecond laser, they're reversible and improve vision without removing tissue.
Complex cases An artificial cornea for cases where a conventional transplant isn't viable or has failed. Restores vision in situations once considered untreatable.
Your recovery
Visual recovery is quick. We're with you at every post-op check until you're discharged.
After cross-linking or ring placement, you will wear a bandage contact lens for the first few days, with light sensitivity and tearing that ease up with drops.
Days 1-7Your vision stabilizes gradually. With rings, 80-90% of the improvement happens between weeks 2 and 4, with close follow-up visits.
Weeks 2-6If you had a transplant, full visual recovery takes months and calls for long-term follow-up to watch for rejection and fine-tune your prescription.
Months (transplant)What sets us apart
Four concrete reasons to trust the health of your eyes to this team.
An internationally trained cornea team, including transplant surgeons experienced in every modern technique.
Intracorneal rings placed with femtosecond, micron-level precision, not by hand. Greater safety and consistency.
We offer the K-PRO artificial cornea for patients where a conventional transplant isn't an option. Few centers in the region perform it.
From early cross-linking to advanced transplant surgery, all under one roof. We don't refer you elsewhere as your case progresses.
Diagnostics
Every pre-surgical study in one place, without ever leaving the center.
Medical team
Meet the team who will handle your evaluation, surgery, and follow-up.
How to book your visit
We designed every step so you reach your treatment plan without unnecessary detours.
By WhatsApp, form, or phone. Within 24 hours we confirm the day, time, and specialist at the location you prefer.
24 hA complete eye exam with your specialist. We talk through your history, symptoms, and what you want to achieve.
45 minWhatever your case calls for, done inside the center and often during the same visit.
Same dayYour doctor walks you through options, costs, and next steps. You decide with clear information.
Next stepsCoverage
Most plans cover surgery with standard options. Premium options may require a copay.
Resources
Patient guides reviewed by our specialists.
Keratoconus thins and warps the cornea, but it can be stopped. Learn the signs, treatment options like cross-linking, and why early care matters.
Read more →
Considering a corneal transplant in the Dominican Republic? Learn when it's needed, the types available, what recovery looks like, and expected results.
Read more →Frequently asked questions
It is the most common corneal disease. The cornea, normally round, gradually thins and bulges into a cone shape. This distorts your vision and creates an irregular astigmatism that keeps changing. It usually starts in the teenage years and can progress into your 30s. The good news: with early detection, we can stop it before it causes permanent vision loss.
With Pentacam corneal topography, a detailed map of your cornea's shape and thickness that can catch keratoconus at its earliest stages, before it affects your vision. That's why it's worth getting checked if your astigmatism is changing fast, you rub your eyes a lot, or it runs in your family. We round out the diagnosis with pachymetry, specular microscopy, and anterior segment OCT.
Yes. Corneal cross-linking stops progression in about 95% of cases. It uses riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ultraviolet light to strengthen the collagen fibers in the cornea, halting the reshaping process. It works best the earlier it's done, which is why early detection matters so much. It won't restore vision you've already lost, but it keeps keratoconus from advancing further.
Small, semicircular segments of biocompatible material inserted into the cornea to reshape its curvature and improve vision in patients with keratoconus. They are placed with a femtosecond laser, are minimally invasive, and, unlike a transplant, are reversible and adjustable. They are frequently combined with cross-linking to stabilize and improve vision at the same time.
Not necessarily. A transplant is reserved for advanced cases where the cornea is already severely reshaped, thinned, or clouded, and other options (cross-linking, rings, specialty lenses) are no longer enough. Most patients whose keratoconus is caught early never need a transplant. When one is needed, today's techniques can replace just the damaged layer, with a faster recovery than a full transplant.
It depends on which layer of the cornea is damaged. A penetrating transplant (PKP) replaces the full thickness; anterior lamellar (DALK) replaces the outer layers while keeping the innermost one; and endothelial transplants (DMEK and DSAEK) replace only the innermost layer, with faster recovery and a lower risk of rejection. Your surgeon chooses the technique based on your specific diagnosis.
Rejection is possible, but it is less common than with other organ transplants because the cornea has no blood vessels of its own. Modern techniques that replace only the damaged layer (DMEK, DSAEK) have even lower rejection rates. It is managed with eye drops and follow-up visits, and when caught early, most rejection episodes reverse. That is why long-term follow-up is essential.
It is an artificial cornea implanted when a conventional corneal transplant isn't an option, or has already failed more than once. It restores vision in very complex cases once considered untreatable. Few centers in the region perform this procedure. It's a resource for specific situations that your cornea specialist evaluates case by case.
Yes, especially if you sleep in them, wear them longer than recommended, or do not clean them properly. The main risk is infectious keratitis, a corneal infection that is a medical emergency: left untreated, it can leave permanent scarring. If you wear contact lenses and develop sudden intense eye pain, redness, and light sensitivity, seek care right away.
Locations
Meet with a fellowship-trained cornea specialist. Topography and a complete workup to confirm your diagnosis and find the right treatment for your case.
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