Cornea

The cornea is the clear dome-shaped "window" in the front of the eye. Behind this clear window lies the iris, or colored portion of the eye. The cornea serves two purposes:

1. It forms the front part of the eye's outer wall or shell and thus protects structures inside the eye.

2. With its curved shape, the cornea acts like a camera lens to transmit light and focus images on the retina at the back of the eye.

Following disease or injury, the cornea may become weakened, cloudy, or irregular in shape. If medicines are ineffective, in some cases the damaged cornea can be replaced with a healthy cornea from a deceased person. This replacement procedure is called "corneal transplant" or "penetrating keratoplasty."

This website describes corneal transplant surgery. The information is designed to accompany but not replace our discussions before and after surgery. If you have further questions, please ask me. It is important that you take as much time as you need to understand your condition and possible treatments.