Overview
Have you been told you need a corneal transplant? This page will help you find answers to some of your concerns by addressing the more common questions about corneal transplant. You will also find a brief description of the process from Donor to Recipient.
Eye Donation Process
The Call
The Kentucky Lions Eye Bank receives a call from a hospital or an organ procurement organization that an individual has died and has met preliminary criteria for donation. The eye bank has a very short time within which to contact the next of kin, obtain consent and recover the tissue. This generally needs to happen within 16 hours of the time of death.
The Contact
The eye bank contacts the next of kin by phone to obtain consent for the donation of the individual’s corneas.
The Consent
If consent is given, the next of kin is asked to complete a medical-social history interview. This interview provides the eye bank with information to make a donor eligibility determination.
The Donor Medical Review
After consent is given, the eye bank obtains copies of relevant medical records for review from the hospital, a step in the process of creating a complete donor profile. Blood tests for diseases such as AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis are performed to confirm that these will not be transmitted to the recipient.
After Recovery
After recovering the corneas, the tissue is placed in a solution. This solution keeps the tissue viable and helps to reduce bacterial growth. The technician then transports the corneas back to the eye bank’s laboratory.
The Evaluation
Specially trained technicians evaluate the cornea through microscopes to ensure that it meets the eye bank’s strict criteria for transplantation.
The Eligibility Determination
The eye bank’s medical director or his/her designee reviews the records for the donor and makes a final eligibility determination in accordance with the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strict Medical Standards.
The Release of Tissue
If the medical director or his/her designee authorizes a release of the tissue, the cornea is then offered to the surgeons for transplant on a fair and equitable system. The cornea is labeled with a unique identification number to allow the eye bank to track the tissue from donor to recipient. It’s then shipped or delivered to the surgeon or another eye bank for transplant.
Donor Family Letter
To My Donor Family,
Losing my sight changed my life completely! It was devastating. I went from being a vibrant, independent, young woman to someone who was completely dependant on others. I lost my freedom and could no longer function as I once could. I became very depressed and hopeless.
None of what I went through compares to what you had to experience. The loss of a loved one is something from which you will never recover. Through your loss, you gave me a precious gift. The gift that gave my life back! I received a cornea from your loved one on October 9. My sight was restored along with my faith and zest for life.
In your darkest hours, you were unselfish in your decision. Please take comfort in knowing your loved one lives on, not only in your heart but in me. Each day I wake up and see the world through the eye of your loved one. Because of this remarkable gift, I will one day see my groom at the end of the church aisle. I will see the faces of my unborn children. Words cannot express my gratitude.
May God bless you!
Love always,
Misty
FAQs
The cornea is the thin, transparent portion of the eye. It is the main focusing element of the eye allowing light to pass through. Vision will be dramatically reduced if the cornea becomes cloudy or scarred from disease, injury or infection.
This is a surgical procedure that replaces the patient’s cornea with a healthy donor cornea.
There are many types of corneal problems and not all require a corneal transplant. The cornea is the thin, transparent portion of the eye. If the cornea becomes cloudy or scarred, the vision in the eye becomes poor and you may need a corneal transplant. During the procedure, the patient is under general or local anesthesia. There are two types of corneal transplants, a full thickness, and partial thickness. Your surgeon will decide which surgery is best for your condition. In a full thickness corneal transplant, a circular opening is made removing the center portion of the patient’s cornea then a new donor cornea is sewn into place. Tiny stitches are used to hold the new cornea in place. Because the cornea heals slowly, the stitches are kept in for 6-12 months. In a partial thickness corneal transplant, a small incision is made near the edge of the cornea; next, the thin layer of the patient’s cornea is removed. Then a thin layer of the donor cornea is slipped into the opening. Once the transplanted cornea is firmly attached the corneal cloudiness goes away and good vision returns. Partial thickness corneal transplants offer faster recovery, 3-6 months, but cannot be used in all cornea conditions. This type of surgery is generally offered as an option for patients suffering from Fuchs’ Dystrophy and other causes of corneal swelling.
Corneas are a gift given through the generosity of a donor and their family at the time of death.
Most people find the physical recovery following surgery to be relatively easy. The pain is generally minimal, although patients often have irritation and light sensitivity for the first 2 to 3 weeks. Although the vision may be better than before the surgery was done, the time to full recovery of vision is harder to predict. In general, patients should expect the vision to be blurry for at least three months. For full-thickness corneal transplants, on average, recovery of full visual potential takes 6-12 months. Partial thickness corneal transplants heal more quickly with recovery occurring in 3-6 months.
Most people find the physical recovery following surgery to be relatively easy. The pain is generally minimal, although patients often have irritation and light sensitivity for the first 2 to 3 weeks. Although the vision may be better than before the surgery was done, the time to full recovery of vision is harder to predict. In general, patients should expect the vision to be blurry for at least three months. For full-thickness corneal transplants, on average, recovery of full visual potential takes 6-12 months. Partial thickness corneal transplants heal more quickly with recovery occurring in 3-6 months.
No – the cornea is a thin, transparent tissue. The color of your eye is determined by your iris color.
No. Only the cornea can be transplanted. The entire eye may be used for valuable research and education.
Research on glaucoma, retinal disease, eye complications due to diabetes and other sight disorders helps to advance the discovery of the cause and effects of these conditions. This leads to new treatments and cures.
Almost anyone! Cataracts, macular degeneration, poor eyesight, cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease or age do not prevent you from being a cornea and/or eye donor. It’s important for individuals wanting to be donors to inform family members of their wishes.
If a person has already signed a donor card, a driver’s license, or signed up on Kentucky’s Donor Registry, how can they be sure that their wishes regarding donation will be respected? Tell your family you want to be a cornea donor. Donation is an end of life decision. If you are suitable for donation at your time of death, your family will be asked about cornea donation. So please, talk to your family about your decision.
By clicking the link below, you will be taken to Kentucky or Indiana’s Donor Registry website. This is a secure site where you can sign up online to become a donor. You will need to have either a driver’s license or state-issued ID in order to register.