Corneal Transplantation in Turkey: Cost, Types and Recovery (2025)

Corneal transplantation  a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged or diseased cornea with a healthy one from a donor to improve vision, restore integrity, or treat infection

Medically  known as keratoplasty, it’s a vision-restoring eye surgery that replaces part of the cornea with healthy donor tissue. This treatment helps patients with keratoconus, corneal scarring, and Fuchs’ dystrophy regain clear vision.

At International Clinics in Turkey, we provide advanced corneal transplant procedures including DMEK, DSAEK, DALK, and PK, ensuring excellent results and fast recovery. 

In this complete 2025 guide, you’ll learn everything about:

The different types of corneal transplantation,,Step-by-step surgical procedure,,Recovery timeline & post-care,Cost comparison across countries

Whether you’re considering this surgery or simply researching your options, this article will help you understand what to expect from diagnosis to recovery.

What Is Corneal Transplantation? 

Corneal Transplantation  is an operation to replace part of the cornea with corneal tissue  from a donor also known as keratoplasty, is a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged or diseased cornea with healthy donor tissue. The cornea is the transparent front layer of the eye responsible for focusing light. When it becomes cloudy, scarred, or distorted, vision is significantly impaired  and a corneal transplant may be the only way to restore clarity and visual function.

The medical term for this procedure is keratoplasty. It can be performed using donor corneal tissue (allograft) or, in rare cases, using the patient’s own tissue (autograft). In Turkey, corneal transplantation is among the most advanced ophthalmic surgeries performed in specialized eye centers.

In simple terms, it’s a procedure that helps people with keratoconus, corneal scarring, or Fuchs’ dystrophy see clearly again often when other treatments haven’t worked.

Types of Corneal Transplantation

There are several types of corneal transplant procedures, depending on which layers of the cornea are affected:

1. Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK)  Full-thickness corneal transplant. The entire cornea is replaced.
2. Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK)  Only the front and middle layers are replaced, preserving the endothelium.
3. Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK / DSAEK)  Replacement of the innermost endothelial layer.
4. Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK)  A more precise form of endothelial transplant, with faster recovery.

Each method has specific indications and recovery times. In modern eye centers in Turkey, lamellar techniques like DMEK and DSAEK are increasingly common due to their better outcomes and shorter healing periods.

Indications for Corneal Transplantation

Corneal transplantation is recommended for patients with corneal damage that cannot be treated through medication or minor procedures. Common indications include:

- Keratoconus – A progressive thinning and cone-shaped deformation of the cornea.
- Corneal Scarring – Caused by infections (e.g., herpes simplex keratitis), injuries, or previous surgeries.
- Corneal Edema  _Swelling due to endothelial cell loss, commonly from Fuchs’ dystrophy.
- Corneal Ulcers or Dystrophies – Severe conditions leading to visual distortion or opacity.

_Complications caused by previous eye surgery.

_ Agenetic condition.

Recent research also explores heparin-modified gelatin scaffolds for human corneal endothelial cell transplantatio a promising approach for tissue engineering and reducing donor dependency.

The Corneal Transplantation Procedure

Full-thickness corneal transplants involve removing the diseased cornea and stitching in a new one from a donor. Now, for conditions that affect only the inner layer of the cornea, doctors can perform a partial-thickness transplant, in which only the damaged layer is removed and replaced with donor tissue.

A corneal transplant typically takes between 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the technique used.

• Here’s what to expect during the procedure
  1. Preoperative Assessment – Vision tests, corneal topography, and medical history evaluation.
  2. Anesthesia – Usually local anesthesia with sedation.
  3. Donor Tissue Preparation – Healthy donor cornea is selected from an eye bank.
  4. Corneal Replacement – The surgeon removes the affected corneal section and sutures the donor graft in place.
  5. Postoperative Protection – The eye is covered and monitored for several hours before discharge.
  
  Patients are generally advised not to rub the eye, use prescribed drops, and attend all follow-ups for optimal healing.

Recovery After Corneal Transplantation

You will probably be able to go back to work or your normal routine in about 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. But your vision might  still be  a bit blurry. Patients should avoid heavy lifting for about 4 weeks, or until your doctor says it’s okay Recovery time varies by surgery type.
- PK (Full-thickness): 6–12 months for full visual stabilization.
- DALK / DSAEK / DMEK: 1–3 months for significant vision improvement.

During the recovery period:
- Avoid physical strain and swimming.
- Use steroid and antibiotic drops as prescribed.
- Report any redness, pain, or light sensitivity immediately  signs of possible rejection.

Most patients experience gradual vision improvement and can return to daily activities within several weeks.

Cost of Corneal Transplantation in TURKEY  (2025)

The cost of corneal transplantation varies depending on the country, hospital type, surgical technique, and surgeon’s expertise.
Turkey is one of the most affordable  destinations  high-quality ophthalmic surgery, offering advanced facilities at competitive prices. As surgery  includes surgeon fees,donor tissue and hospital stay . As the Cost  in Turkey  varies between 4000_6000$ USD .

Here’s how corneal transplant costs compare around the world in 2025:

Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation Research

Eye banking plays a vital role in successful corneal transplantation. Eye banks collect, evaluate, and preserve donor corneas, ensuring safe tissue supply for surgery.

The Global Survey of Corneal Transplantation and Eye Banking emphasizes that Turkey has become an emerging hub in corneal surgery, combining advanced surgical methods with efficient eye banking systems.

Additional Insights and Global Outlook(global market)

The global corneal transplantation market continues to grow, driven by advances in surgical instruments, regenerative medicine, and eye banking systems. Major ophthalmology centers in Los Angeles, Texas, Dubai, Istanbul, Riyadh, and Cairo now perform modern keratoplasty procedures with success rates comparable to leading Western institutions.

From a medical classification perspective, the ICD-9-CM code for corneal transplantation is 11.6, used internationally across countries such as Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

In different languages, corneal transplantation is known as “Hornhauttransplantation” in German and “การผ่าตัดเปลี่ยนกระจกตา” in Thai.

Recent studies published in the Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation Journal

 Highlight the use of heparin-modified gelatin scaffolds for human corneal endothelial cell transplantation a promising technique that may reduce global dependence on donor tissue.

Educational materials, including corneal transplantation PDFs and PowerPoint presentations, are widely used in ophthalmology training to teach preoperative assessment, surgical techniques, and postoperative care.

Why Choose Corneal Transplantation in Turkey with International Clinics?

In brief, corneal transplantation (keratoplasty) offers hope to patients suffering from corneal diseases, injuries, or vision loss. With modern surgical techniques like DMEK, DSAEK, and DALK, success rates are higher and recovery is faster than ever before

At International Clinics in Turkey,

Corneal Transplantation required expertised skilled Eye doctors . we combine medical excellence with genuine care offering world-class facilities, experienced ophthalmologists, and affordable packages for international patients.

 Are you ready to restore your vision?

Contact International Clinics today for a free consultation and personalized treatment plan