A STUDENT who could barely see is looking forward to returning to education after undergoing corrective eye surgery.

Richard Lumb, 18, has been recuperating at home since the corneal graft was performed at Darlington Memorial Hospital in November - a century after the first successful transplant of its kind.

The teenager has been partially-sighted since he was two, because of an abnormality from birth.

Since he was nine, he has been able to see very little, but now can already read again.

Richard, from Darlington, is planning to spend the first part of the year travelling before going to Roehampton University, London, to study classical civilisation in September.

The problem had been with his cornea - the transparent front part of the eye covering the iris and lens - which did not filter light properly.

During the operation, his cornea was removed and replaced with one from a donor.

Richard had been waiting to have the operation since he was 15, but wanted to wait until he had finished his A-levels, which he took at Durham Gilesgate Sixth Form this year.

He said: "It is fantastic. I can see lots more than I used to, but it is not perfect yet.

"I could barely see anything before. I needed to use Braille or extra magnification on everything.

"At the moment, I need some magnification. I also find it easier to get out and about and it is a lot easier for mobility. And I don't need to sit next to the television anymore."

Richard remains optimistic about his life. "If I wanted to do anything, I have gone out and done it," he said.

"But the operation has given me a different outlook on life. It has made me appreciate things more - a lot more."

His doctor, Richard Stirling, an eye surgeon at Darlington Hospital, said the donor's cornea was sewed in with fine stitches.

He said: "It is a very delicate operation."

Mr Stirling added: "It is looking beautifully clear. The prognosis is very good."