The cornea is the front, outer part of the eye. It is unique in its transparency, which allows light to enter the eye and acts as a protective and optical medium. Corneal diseases are the most common cause of vision loss and the leading indication for corneal transplantation. They are considered the third leading example of blindness in the world. There are numerous indications for corneal transplantation, including conditions such as keratoconus, Fuchs' dystrophy, keratitis of various etiologies, bullous keratopathy, corneal leukoma, and corneal dystrophy and degeneration. It is possible to transplant a full-thickness cornea or only the diseased layer. It is the most successful organ transplant since the cornea is an avascular tissue. The first corneal transplant was performed by Zirm in 1906. Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) is becoming the gold standard in corneal transplantation. With the further progress of technology, the development of surgical methods, devices and instruments, lamellar keratoplasty techniques are created, which at the same time make it possible to replace only the diseased layer of the cornea. The advantages of lamellar keratoplasty are a faster recovery of vision, a lower rate of immune rejection and a longer survival period of the graft. The eye bank, as a separate organizational unit, deals with the collection, processing and storage of donor tissue. Cooperation between the eye bank and the transplant team enables successful understanding and handling of donor tissue. As the population ages around the world, the number of suitable corneal donors is decreasing. Cell therapy research and knowledge in regenerative medicine allow us alternative solutions that are not primarily dependent on donor tissue. Corneal xenotransplantation, where a porcine cornea is taken as donor tissue, opens up various possibilities for progress in the field of corneal transplantation, but to date they have not taken root in clinical use.