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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 deceased 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.
Cornea transplant is the most common transplant operation performed in the United States. About 40,000 cornea transplants are performed each year, according to the Eye Bank Association of America.
Why it's done
References
- Facts about the cornea and corneal disease. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cornealdisease/. Accessed Dec. 22, 2008.
- Cornea donation & transplantation statistics. Eye Bank Association of America. http://www.restoresight.org/donation/statistics.htm. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
- 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/learnfacts.htm. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
