The clear covering of the eyeball is called the cornea. Surgery is performed on the cornea for two main reasons. One is to remove scarring and clouding that interfere with vision. The other is to change the curve of the cornea to correct vision problems. These problems include nearsightedness and farsightedness. Operations on the cornea can be performed with traditional surgical tools or laser surgery can be used. The best candidates for this type of surgery are people with corneal conditions whose vision can’t be corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses. Many people also choose to have corneal surgery for convenience and for cosmetic reasons. Several procedures can be performed on the cornea to restore its clarity and allow more light to pass through. A procedure called a conjunctival flap is done when the cornea is diseased and painful. It can also be done when there is danger of the cornea tearing because it is too thin. The new cornea transplant procedure replaces only the diseased layer of tissue inside the cornea, radically improving recovery time. More importantly, it doesn’t mess with the shape or power of the cornea, meaning the patient won’t become nearsighted or farsighted in that eye. Some 5,000 transplants are done in the United States every year. In recent years, the chances of success of this operation have risen dramatically because of new advances such as the surgical microscope, finer, less irritating sutures, and better eye banking techniques. In fact, many patients can expect better than a 90% chance of a clear transplant. Even though this surgery is a unique and sometimes frightening experience for you as a patient, we hope that this section will help to guide you through this new experience by answering questions concerning corneal transplant surgery and your role in ensuring its success. Corneal transplant surgery involves removing the diseased cornea surgically and replacing it with a donated cornea.