Thus this book impressively reflects many years of surgi A successful penetrating keratoplasty has many prerequi sites, for example suitable donor tissue, careful harvesting cal experience and can impart this to younger operating v of the donor eye and donor cornea, the possibility of suit surgeons and many colleagues who assist in the care of able short-term conservation, an atraumatic transplant the patients. technique using modern corneoscleral trephination instru Since the key to long-term visual rehabilitation of kerato ments as well as a problem-orientated perioperative phar plasty patients can be found in the knowledge presented macotherapy. All of these factors contribute to the here, we hope this book will enjoy the largest possible cir immediate success of the operation. More decisive for the culation. long-term success of the transplant and therefore more One is unable to conclude this preface without a word of thanks from the Department of Ophthalmology of the Uni important for the patient is, however, the early recognition versity of Cologne to the author for the many years during of immunogenic and non-immunogenic complications which she directed the keratoplasty consultation service. from the moment of the patient's discharge from hospital. In view of the multitude of interactions between the recipi These thanks are also in the name of our patients who ent eye and the donor cornea there is a complex spectrum benefited from her expert care.