If a cornea becomes cloudy from disease, injury or infection, vision is dramatically reduced. A corneal transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces a disc-shaped segment of an unhealthy cornea with a similarly shaped piece of healthy donor cornea.
Only human donor tissue can be used in corneal transplantation surgery. This operation is also called a corneal graft or keratoplasty. The most common reasons for requiring a transplant are:
- Dystrophy’s directly affecting the cornea
- the most common being Fuch’s Dystrophy where the cornea becomes opaque leading to loss of vision
Other dystrophies are lattice, granular, keratoconus – a corneal dystrophy in which the central zone of the cornea thins and becomes irregularly curved severe bacterial infection. In United States, approximately 2,000 corneal transplants are performed each year.
Cornea transplant operations are very successful#
According to the American Corneal Graft Registry, the average one-year transplant survival rate is approximately 90 per cent, decreasing to 75 per cent at five years. type are unimportant in determining cornea donor suitability. Similarly, donor eye color and eyesight quality are not barriers to donation.
However, people with severe infections, hematological malignancies, transmissible neuropathological diseases, or communicable diseases such as, cannot donate their corneas. Suitability after previous eye surgery or in the donor is assessed at the time of donation. Telling your next of kin about your wishes is crucial for you to become a cornea donor at the time of your death.
Individuals can also register with the An eye bank is notified on the death of a potential donor who meets preliminary donation criteria. Retrieval of the cornea typically occurs within hours of death.
If a donor cornea is unsuitable for transplant, eyes may be used for research and training, when consent is given for that purpose.
The cornea is the ‘window of the eye’ – the clear dome-like surface at the front of the eye Conditions that require a corneal transplant macular dystrophies bullous keratopathy – a condition in which the cornea becomes permanently swollen eye injury herpes virus infection of the eye corneal scarring due to trauma hereditary or congenital corneal clouding Corneal transplantation procedure Corneal transplant is the oldest and most common form of human transplantation (other than blood transfusion Corneal transplantation success rates Cornea donation Almost anyone can donate their corneas (or other parts of their eyes).
Unlike in organ donation, age and blood HIV and hepatitis Register as a donor American Organ Donor Register Using donated corneas
Where to get help#
Sources & further reading
For evidence-based global guidance on this topic, consult authoritative public-health bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), CDC, NHS, and ECDC.