Is watering or tearing normal after a corneal transplant?

What's normal

Reflex tearing is the eye's response to irritation. After a corneal transplant there is plenty of that: a healing surface, drops going in several times a day, and after a full thickness graft, sutures the lid passes over constantly.

Watering usually settles over the first weeks and improves further as sutures come out. Being in wind, bright light, or air conditioning tends to make it worse temporarily.

Usually heaviest in the first days and eases over the following weeks.

When it stops being normal

Watering that comes with new pain, a big jump in light sensitivity, deepening redness, or worse vision fits the RSVP rejection pattern and should be reported right away.

Thick or colored discharge, rather than clear tears, suggests infection and needs urgent contact with your ophthalmologist. Also report a sudden gush of watery fluid after any bump to the eye, since that can mean the wound has been disturbed, and the wound edge stays weaker for life after a full thickness graft.