Eye banks collect and process donor eyes and eye tissue for transplantation and research. Donors can request documents and discuss their intentions with loved ones and healthcare providers. Donor blood is screened for diseases and the cornea is stored in a preservation medium. Eye donation can restore someone’s eyesight and can be designated for a specific recipient. Donor material can only be taken after approval and when the patient has died or is brain dead. Eye donation is often possible when other types of donation aren’t an option and can be used in valuable research.
An eye bank is a facility that collects and processes donor eyes and eye tissue. These facilities handle eye materials intended for transplantation and materials used in research. Eye banks are found in many regions of the world and are sometimes part of larger facilities that handle donated material intended for use in transplants and research. Individuals interested in becoming an eye donor can request documents from a regional eye bank and discuss their intentions with loved ones and health care providers.
Tissue collected from an eye bank is taken after death, ideally within 12 hours to maintain viability. The eye bank must receive clearance before proceeding, sending a technician to perform the denucleation procedure to remove the entire eye and return it to the eye bank. The technician also usually quickly inspects the donor body in case there are signs of a condition that would cause the eye bank to reject the eye, and draws blood so the eye bank can run the test.
In the eye bank, donor blood is screened for communicable diseases and the eye is cleaned and inspected. The cornea is carefully removed and stored in a preservation medium, where it can last up to six months, and the eye bank can also harvest the vitreous from the eye for use in the treatment of retinal detachment. The rest of the material can be deposited for future reference or sent to a research facility. When it is no longer needed, it will be respectfully disposed of.
Donating an eye to an eye bank can lead to someone else having their eyesight restored. Due to the fact that no exact match is required and the fact that corneas can be stored, cornea donation waiting lists are not as long as those for people waiting for other transplants, but eye donations are still needed on a regular basis, and the generosity of organ and tissue donors is always appreciated. People can also engage in direct donation, designating a specific recipient for their corneas after death.
There are specific laws on how to handle organ and tissue donation. Donor material may only be taken after it has been approved and only after the patient has died or is found to be brain dead, and therefore a candidate for organ and tissue donation. Eye donation is often possible when other types of donation aren’t an option, and even if the tissue can’t be used for a donation, it can be used in valuable research that can help doctors learn how to treat and prevent injuries eyepieces.
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