Kerala's General Hospital sets national record with corneal transplant surgery

A corneal transplantation surgery to restore vision in a patient suffering from corneal blindness was successfully performed at the Ophthalmology Department of the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital. The procedure was carried out on a 59-year-old resident of Kovalam on January 24. The corneal transplant, a procedure usually performed only at select government medical colleges, the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and private eye hospitals, was conducted at the General Hospital. This marks the first time in the country that a corneal transplantation surgery has been performed at a district-level hospital.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George congratulated the General Hospital team that led the surgery. The patient had been suffering from corneal blindness following an injury sustained to the right eye during childhood.

Surgery, free of charge
The cornea was procured from the Eye Bank Association, Kerala (EBAK). The surgery, which usually costs several lakhs of rupees at private hospitals, was performed free of charge at the General Hospital. In 2023, the government issued an order permitting corneal transplantation surgeries to be performed at district-level hospitals by doctors trained in corneal surgery. Subsequently, the required facilities were set up at the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital. Equipment worth nearly Rs 40 lakh was installed for corneal transplantation, and the hospital also obtained a licence from the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (KSOTO) to perform the procedure.

The transplantation surgery was carried out under the leadership of Hospital Superintendent Dr Krishnaveni, Head of the Ophthalmology Department Dr Sreelatha, corneal surgeon Dr Reshmi P Haridas, Head of the Anaesthesia Department Dr Ambili and Dr Madhu.