|
Eye banks retrieve and store eyes for cornea transplants and research. US eye banks provide tissue for about 46,000 cornea transplants a year to treat conditions such as keratoconus and cornea scarring. The cornea is the only part of the eye that can currently undergo transplantation. In contrast to other organs, there is an adequate supply of corneas for transplants.
When an organ donor dies, certified eye bank technicians are dispatched to the hospital to collect the donor's eyes. The whole eye, called a globe, is enucleated from the donor and taken back to the eye bank for processing. A sample of the donor's blood is also collected to test for any pathogens.
|
