Cornea Surgery
Some 46,000 people have cornea transplants each year. This is a sight-saving surgery, but it also requires patients and ophthalmologists to work closely together to insure the success of the surgery.
This booklet will help you and your family understand corneal transplant surgery and explain what you need to know during the recovery period. Please take time to read this information before surgery and save it for future reference.
What is the cornea? – The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped tissue covering the front of the eye. It is about the size of a dime and the thickness of a credit card. The cornea is kept moist and nourished by a thin layer of tears. It is kept smooth by the blinking of the eyelids. If the cornea becomes distorted in shape, scarred, or hazy (opaque) from disease or injury, the light rays passing through it are distorted and the vision is reduced. In some cases, a corneal transplant may be necessary to replace the diseased or injured cornea with a healthy, clear cornea to restore good vision.
what is corneal transplant surgery?
In corneal transplant surgery the scarred or damaged cornea is removed and replaced by a human donor cornea called a graft. Corneal transplant surgery also is called penetrating keratoplasty or corneal grafting. Your eye is the recipient eye because it receives the graft. The other person’s cornea is the donor cornea or donor tissue because the cornea is being donated or given to you.