Treatment:

Eye drops or ointments that draw fluid out of the cornea are used to relieve symptoms of Fuchs' dystrophy.

If painful sores develop on the cornea, soft contact lenses or surgery to create flaps over the sores may help reduce pain.

The only cure for Fuchs' dystrophy is a corneal transplant. Fuchs' dystrophy is one of the leading reasons for corneal transplantion in the United States.

Deep lamellar keratoplasty (DLK) is an alternative to a traditional transplant. In this procedure, only the deep layers of the cornea are replaced with donor tissue. The procedure requires no stitches. Recovery time is faster and there are fewer complications, such as rejection.

Expectations (prognosis):

Fuchs' dystrophy gets worse over time. Without a corneal transplant, a patient with severe Fuchs' dystrophy may become blind or have severe pain and very reduced vision.

Mild cases of Fuchs' dystrophy often worsen after cataract surgery. A cataract surgeon will evaluate this risk and may modify the technique or the timing of your cataract surgery.

Complications:

Complications of Fuchs' dystrophy include:

• Light sensitivity
• Mild to severe vision loss
• Frequent, severe pain as the disease gets worse

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have:

• Eye pain
• Eye sensitivity to light
• The feeling that something is in your eye when there is nothing there
• Vision problems such as seeing halos or cloudy vision
• Worsening vision