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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A cornea transplant is a surgical procedure to replace part of your cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. Your cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped surface of your eye that accounts for a large part of your eye's focusing power.
A cornea transplant can restore vision, reduce pain and improve the appearance of a damaged or diseased cornea. A cornea transplant, also called keratoplasty, is typically performed as an outpatient procedure.
Most cornea transplant procedures are successful. But cornea transplant carries a small risk of complications, such as rejection of the donor cornea.
References
- Facts about the cornea and corneal disease. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cornealdisease/. Accessed Dec. 10, 2010.
- Krachmer JH, et al. Cornea. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2005:1413.
- Learn the facts. Eye Bank Association of America. http://www.restoresight.org/donation/learnthefacts. Accessed Dec. 10, 2010.
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