When the cornea becomes cloudy due to disease or injury, light rays are unable to pass through it to reach the retina (the light-sensitive part of the eye) and leads to poor vision or blindness. The cornea can be damaged by:
- Corneal injuries
- Infections
- Age-related degeneration
Corneal transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces the cloudy/scarred cornea with a clear donor cornea to improve vision.
The usual corneal transplant surgery involves a full corneal transplant (called penetrating keratoplasty), while a new and more advanced form of partial corneal transplant (called lamellar keratoplasty) replaces the diseased parts of the cornea only, leaving the healthy corneal tissue in place.