Corneal Transplantation 1905 – Opening Your Eyes to the World Again

LIFE magazine's July 1946 issue included this statement: “Hundreds of Americans who were once blind can see today thanks to the eyes of people who have died... When the rest of the eye is healthy, being blind for minor reasons (resulting from corneal damage) has always seemed especially unbearable.”

The cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface in front of the iris and pupil, can cause blindness if damaged. The cornea is responsible for most of the eye's “focusing power”. 

Today, corneal transplants, also known as keratoplasties, can restore vision. They have also become one of the most common and successful forms of solid-tissue transplantation. During transplantation, the damaged cornea is sometimes removed with a trephine (an instrument resembling a circular cookie cutter) and replaced with the cornea of a person who has recently died.

In 1905, the Austrian ophthalmologist Eduard Zirm performed a successful human corneal transplant on a laborer named Alois Glogar—probably the first successful person-to-person transplant. Alois Glogar was a laborer who had been accidentally blinded while working with lime. The healthy corneas came from an 11-year-old boy whose eyes had been blinded by deep injuries. Because Zirm did not use modern fine materials to suture the cornea to the eye, he used strips of conjunctiva, found over the white of the eye, to help hold the cornea down during healing.

The tissue rejection that normally occurs in transplantation is reduced, though not absent, in corneas because of their partial immune privilege. This results from several factors, including corneal anatomy and the presence of naturally occurring immunosuppressive compounds in the aqueous substance between the lens and the cornea. About 90% are successful one year after surgery. 

Today, lasers are often used instead of cutting blades, while research continues into artificial materials and stem cells for corneal replacement.

About the Article Image: Dr. Eduard Zirm, who performed the first successful temporary keratoplasty (1905), in his operating room.

Historical Figures Mentioned in the Article: Eduard Konrad Zirm (1863–1944)

• Previous topic: Halstedian Surgery 1904 – Respect for the Human Body
• Next topic: Genes and Sex Determination 1905 – Sex Chromosomes