1. Nonsurgical Management Methods
Individuals who experience edema and fluid buildup in the cornea can use hairdryers or other heat sources to literally dry out the tear film around the eye. Prescribed soft contact lenses can help to dehydrate/relieve fluid buildup as well. Your ophthalmologist may also prescribe a topical treatment of saline solution to encourage the dehydration of blisters along the epithelial layer of the cornea. While some people can sustain these treatments two to four times a day, many people find that these aggressive approaches can cause unwanted side effects, like redness in the eyes and a feeling of being dried out.
2. Get a Corneal Transplant
Since Fuchs dystrophy is ultimately a degenerative disease that can't be cured, sometimes the only way to stave off blindness is to literally transplant the cornea or otherwise physically alleviate the excrescences at the back of the cornea. Traditional transplant therapy surgery is a serious affair, and it may be contraindicated for certain patients with pre-existing medical conditions. An alternative to this more aggressive treatment is surgery to cover up the conjunctival flap of the cornea to impede the progress of Fuchs dystrophy.
3. Other Surgeries to Alleviate the Condition
There are three alternatives to the traditional corneal transplant: penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), Descemet's stripping with endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) and deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK). There are various benefits and drawbacks to all three of these surgeries. DSEK is a relatively new procedure, but many surgeons prefer it to the traditional PKP and DLEK surgeries. If and when you get to the stage that you need corrective surgery to relieve the pain and visual problems, have your ophthalmologist walk you through all the pros and cons of these procedures.
