What is a Cornea Transplant?
Corneal transplants are medicine's oldest and most successful transplant operations.  In the past 35 years, more than 250,000 corneal transplants have been performed in the U.S.  The procedure involves removing the cornea from the donor eye with a special instrument resembling a small cookie cutter.  The same method is used to remove the damaged cornea from the patient's eye.  The surgeon then stitches the new cornea into place.  For many individuals, a corneal transplant may be the only hope for restored vision, and may be necessary when the cornea is cloudy or damaged due to disease, injury, accident or hereditary conditions.  In these situations, the cornea must be removed and replaced with healthy donor tissue.  The procedure is successful in 90 percent of cases, restoring sight and, in some cases, even providing sight for the first time.

In certain cases, regrafts are performed. Regrafts occur when a patient needs a second corneal transplant because the first one was unsuccessful. Some additional reasons for cornea transplants include:

  • Corneal ulcers, a type of infection that often leads to scarring
  • Trauma
  • Fuch's Dystrophy
  • Damage to the epithelial layer of the cornea, through improper cleaning and use of contact lenses. Sleeping in contact lenses leads to a greater risk of corneal ulcers; the symptoms include eye pain, decreased vision, and redness.
What is the Cornea?
It is the transparent, dome-shaped, outermost layer that covers the iris and pupil in the front of the eye.  Although the cornea is clear, it contains a highly organized group of cells and proteins. Unlike most tissues in the body, the cornea contains no blood vessels to nourish or protect it against infection.  Instead, the cornea receives its nourishment from the tears and aqueous humor that fill the chamber behind it.  The cornea, one of the protective layers of the eye, serves two functions:
  • First, along with the eyelid, eye socket, and sclera (white part of the eye), and the tear film, the cornea shields the eye from dust, germs, and other harmful matter.
     
  • Second, as the eye's outermost lens, it is the entry point for light into the eye.  When light strikes the cornea, it bends, or refracts, the incoming light onto the lens.  The lens further refocuses the light onto the retina, a layer of light-sensing cells lining the back of the eye.

To see clearly, the cornea and lens must focus the light rays precisely on the retina.  If the cornea is unable to focus the light properly, then the retina receives a blurry image.

Highly Successful!
Every year thousands of corneal transplants are performed around the world.

They are successful in more than 90 percent of surgeries, restoring precious sight to young and old.

About Eye Surgery
The prospect of any eye surgery is very scary for most people.  A cornea transplant, with its potential complications, can cause even more anxiety.  But with some education about cornea surgery and the promise of saving or improving sight, you can look foreword the procedure with confidence and an excellent chance for success.