About the Cornea

A thin, clear, spherical layer of tissue on the surface of the eye, the cornea functions like a window for light to pass through. In a healthy eye, the cornea protects the eye from harmful environmental materials and filters out some of the sun’s most damaging UV rays.

But disease, infection or injury can affect the cornea, and it can become swollen or scarred. When this happens, the light that passes through it is distorted or scattered and vision is reduced, sometimes even lost. There are a host of things that can affect the cornea, from the overuse of contacts, allergies and Dry Eye to Glaucoma, Shingles and infections.

When a problem does occur, it’s good to know that board certified Ophthalmologist / Cornea Specialist / Surgeon, Dr. Frank W. Bowden III brings the expertise of his Fellowship in Cornea/External disease at one of the world’s most prestigious eye institution’s, Wills Eye in Philadelphia, to corneal care and transplant surgery. This, coupled with his more than 20 years of experience, make him the preeminent cornea care specialist and surgeon in Jacksonville and Orange Park.

Treating Corneal Disease

Treatments for corneal disease can take many forms, depending on the cause of your disease and your own treatment preferences. In fact, sometimes a problem will resolve itself without treatment and many times a corneal problem can be treated with medications. When they can’t, a corneal transplant may be necessary.

Corneal Transplant Surgery

When the cornea is severely damaged or there is a risk of blindness, a corneal transplant, or keratoplasty, may be recommended to preserve your vision. It is also sometimes used as an alternative to implanted prescription contacts when treating keratoconus, a disease that causes a progressive thinning of the cornea.

A corneal transplant replaces the damaged cornea with one from a healthy donor. A low-risk procedure with a high success rate that takes between 30 and 90 minutes, corneal transplants are performed in our outpatient Surgery Center using either a local or general anesthesia.

Because it offers patients in need of a new cornea clear post-operative vision and shorter recovery times, whenever possible Dr. Bowden uses DSAEK – Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty – a revolutionary new corneal transplantation technique.

Preserve and protect your gift of sight. To schedule a consultation with a physician at Bowden Eye Associates, click here or contact one of our offices in Jacksonville and Orange Park at (904) 296-0098.

Common Questions About Cornea Care

We’ve listed the most frequently asked questions and answers about Cornea Care as a convenient resource for our patients. We hope you’ll find them helpful and informative. To answer any questions you may not find here, please call our office to speak with someone directly.