Corneal
transplant
Surgery to replace the
clear window on the front of the eye (the cornea).
Most corneal transplant
operations are done under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.
This means that the patient is awake but an injection is given to
make the eye completely numb. There is no pain.
The corneal tissue for transplantation is taken from a donor shortly
after death with the permission of the nest if kin. Though most transplant
procedures carry the risk of rejection of the transplant tissue or
organ, the very limited blood supply of the cornea greatly reduces
this risk. Most corneal transplants function extremely well for many
years.