Eye Donation Month is an
opportunity to put a spotlight on the 12 million worldwide suffering from
blindness that can be restored with a corneal transplant, honor the gift of
sight by donors and their families, educate and raise awareness about donation
and transplantation.
The term "Eye donation" is used often, in
reality, there is no whole eye transplantation. While whole eye donations
cannot be used for a transplant they can be used for research and education,
leading to advancements in the understanding of conditions such as glaucoma,
retinal disease, complications of diabetes, and other sight disorders which can
lead to new treatments and potential cures. The typical eye bank will accept
donations from the age of 2 to 70.
What is an eye bank? It is a nonprofit organization
that obtains, evaluates, and distributes ocular tissue for transplant research
and education.
Corneal transplants are the most common use for donated
eye tissue. Each year approximately 47,000 corneal transplants are performed.
The cornea is a clear dome-shaped covering of the pupil. Corneal transplants
successfully restore vision to recipients 95% of the time.
Everyone is a universal donor for corneal tissue.
Unlike other tissue donation corneal donations there's not too much blood type
to the recipient.
There are three simple ways to become a donor:
· Sign up at your state's department of motor
vehicles
· Go to the national donate life registry at www.registerme.org
· Indicate your wishes in advance directives
documents
It is essential to share these wishes with family and
your physician.
Sources:
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