Replacement of a diseased or damaged cornea with one taken from a donor eye, usually from a person who recently died.
Grafting a donated cornea to restore function of the eye.
The implantation of a cornea from a healthy donor eye. This is the most common organ transplantation procedure in the U.S. There are two major types of procedures. Lamellar keratoplasty, or split-thickness technique, involves removing a portion of the anterior host cornea and attaching a partial thickness of the donor cornea. Penetrating keratoplasty, or full-thickness transplantation, involves complete removal of the patient’s cornea and replacement with the donor cornea.