Of all the transplant surgery done today (hearts, lungs, kidneys, etc.) corneal transplants are by far the most common and successful. Approximately 34,000 corneal grafts occur in the United States each year.

A cornea transplant involves replacing a diseased or scarred cornea with a new one. When the cornea becomes cloudy, light cannot penetrate the eye to reach the light-sensitive retina. Poor vision or blindness may result. In cornea transplant surgery, the surgeon removes the central portion of the cloudy cornea and replaces it with a clear donor cornea.

If you are a corneal transplant candidate, you probably have had trouble seeing for a period of time. You have likely worn glasses and/or contact lenses and used a variety of eye medications. The information we provide here is intended to help explain what is involved in a corneal transplant, how it can help you see better and how it will affect your daily life.

Corneal transplantation has restored sight to many people, who only a generation ago would have been blinded permanently by corneal injury, infection, or inherited corneal disease or degeneration.