Corneal Transplantation on an Opaque Cornea

A man, aged 22, had opacity of both corneæ, following severe interstitial keratitis at the age of 18. Vision reduced to that of hand movements. Corneal transplantation performed on left eye in November 1930. The graft was taken from an eye removed one month after a perforating injury. Operation performed under cocaine anæsthesia, using the technique established experimentally in rabbits, with the addition of a glass disc interposed between the graft and the overlying stitches. The graft was slightly smaller than the piece of opaque cornea removed, and the margins of each were cut shelving.—The stitches and glass disc were removed on the tenth day; the graft had united well and was nearly clear.—During the next week it began to get hazy, and some minute blood-vessels appeared in its stroma, so that vision deteriorated; a few weeks later it began to improve. Four months after operation patient could count fingers at 2 ft. Two years after operation he could count fingers up to 33 in. with the light behind him.