Corneal Disease Department

The ocular surface disease and corneal disease specialty of Tianjin Eye Hospital was established in the late 1970s and is one of the earlier hospitals in China to conduct clinical and basic research on corneal diseases. It has nationally renowned corneal disease diagnosis and treatment experts and advanced equipment. After decades of continuous development, the Ocular Surface and Corneal Disease Department has become a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment platform integrating medical care, scientific research, and teaching, consisting of the Corneal Disease Ward, Dry Eye Center, and Ocular Surface Disease services. It has extensive experience in corneal transplantation, ocular surface reconstruction, and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of dry eye, with some fields reaching a leading level in China. For more than 40 years, this specialty has continued to develop and has formed a well-structured academic team. It currently has 3 chief physicians, 1 deputy chief physician, 2 attending physicians, and 1 re-employed chief physician. It has 1 doctoral graduate supervisor and 1 master's graduate supervisor, has trained doctoral and master's graduates, and has also trained ophthalmologists from all over the country, receiving multiple national and Tianjin awards and funding support. Department Services This specialty is dedicated to treating various ocular surface diseases and corneal diseases, including various corneal leukoplakias, infectious keratitis, corneal dystrophies, corneal degenerations, and immune-related corneal and conjunctival inflammation. It has extensive clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts, iritis, and other age-related diseases associated with corneal diseases. Our hospital has comprehensive ocular surface examination services. Laser confocal microscopy, an anterior segment comprehensive analyzer, and anterior segment OCT examinations can provide noninvasive examinations for various corneal and ocular surface diseases, and can provide etiological diagnoses for various infectious corneal diseases (bacteria, fungi, and amoebae), strengthening definitive diagnosis and the formulation of treatment plans for difficult and rare corneal diseases. Dry Eye Treatment The treatment services currently offered include: (1) thermal pulsation treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction; this is a noninvasive treatment method applicable to adult patients with meibomian gland dysfunction, providing a new and effective physical treatment method for MGD and currently being one of the newer treatments for dry eye; (2) meibomian gland unblocking combined with + meibomian gland hot-compress steaming treatment, a basic method of physical treatment for dry eye; (3) intense pulsed light treatment for the meibomian glands (OPT); anti-inflammatory and mite-removal treatment improves the tear film and achieves the goal of noninvasive dry eye treatment; (4) absorbable punctal plugs: symptoms can be alleviated and the condition improved by conserving physiological tears and artificial tears. Punctal plugs are characterized by a high success rate, reversibility, and a low complication rate. Comprehensive and Individualized Treatment of Keratoconus Our hospital has introduced corneal collagen cross-linking technology. For patients with early- to moderate-stage keratoconus, corneal cross-linking is used to control disease progression. For patients who need further visual improvement, the optometry center performs refraction and fits RGP lenses after corneal cross-linking to improve vision, thereby avoiding corneal transplantation and achieving good visual outcomes, improving the quality of life and learning of the many patients with keratoconus. For patients in the advanced stage, deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty is used, with many advantages such as rapid postoperative recovery and a low rejection rate. For patients in the scar stage, deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty or penetrating keratoplasty is performed after thorough evaluation. This provides a “one-stop” solution to keratoconus, relieving suffering and bringing light to the many patients with keratoconus. Corneal Transplantation Our hospital performs big-bubble-assisted deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, which has many advantages such as rapid postoperative recovery, a short medication period, and a low rejection rate. Advanced surgical methods such as endothelial keratoplasty are also performed, effectively improving postoperative vision and significantly reducing the occurrence of corneal transplant rejection, thereby improving the quality of life of many patients with corneal endothelial diseases caused by different etiologies. Penetrating keratoplasty combined with cataract surgery is performed, bringing good news to patients with corneal diseases. Other specialized surgeries include medical and surgical treatment of infectious corneal ulcers, reconstructive surgery for ocular surface burns, scleral defect repair, surgery for recurrent pterygium, visual rehabilitation methods for severe eyelid or tear-function disorders, and surgical treatment of corneal flap tumors. Pterygium Pterygium, which ordinary people call “extra flesh,” is a common and frequently occurring ophthalmic disease. Our department uses pterygium excision combined with limbal cell transplantation, greatly reducing the surgical recurrence rate. Combined use of a corneal bandage lens reduces postoperative pain and accelerates postoperative recovery, providing every patient with a good treatment experience. Ocular Surface Tumors Ocular surface tumors are diverse, including conjunctival tumors and eyelid tumors. Our department can combine preoperative medication, amniotic membrane transplantation, and other technologies to manage various complex ocular surface tumors. Intraocular Diseases Associated with Corneal Diseases and Age-Related Eye Diseases We have extensive treatment experience with complex eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and iritis complicated by corneal diseases, as well as with certain age-related eye diseases. Tianjin Eye Bank The Tianjin Eye Bank is located at Tianjin Eye Hospital and was established in 2002; it has complete equipment. It is mainly responsible for promoting corneal donation, organizing procurement, preservation, and quality evaluation, providing a timely and reliable source of corneal material for corneal transplantation in clinical practice and thereby improving the success rate of corneal transplantation. It has an eye tissue bank, a corneal transplant ward, and an eye bank office. It currently has 1 full-time staff member and 5 part-time staff members. Under the cooperation and guidance of the Tianjin Red Cross, it can provide fresh-preserved corneas and dry-preserved corneas for clinical use every year, while also providing urgently needed tissue materials such as sclera and amnion. Despite the current severe shortage of donor corneas, our hospital can still perform corneal transplantation for patients and provide them with high-quality, safe donor materials, bringing light to many patients blinded by corneal disease.