Cornea Transplantation – From darkness to light

Cornea is the transparent front surface of the eye.  IT is an important optical structure through which rays of light enter the eye.  Any damage or Injury to this delicate structure can lead to permanent loss of corneal transparency or in other words cause clouding & opaciflication thereby preventing the entry of light rays into the eye & diminishing vision. In case of severe degree of damage this can cause total loss of vision making the person visually handicapped due to corneal blindness. It is estimated that there are around 2 million people in India suffering from corneal blindness. Out of these, 60% of total number of corneal blindness cases include children under age 12 due to accidental or occupational injuries. Injuries contribute to major cause of permanent damage to cornea. There are other conditions also such as malnutrition, Vitamin A deficiency, infection, certain corneal diseases such as Keratoconus, Corneal degeneration, which can cause corneal blindness.

Corneal transplantation/Keratoplasty/ corneal grafting is the surgical procedure done in patients suffering from corneal blindness in order to restore sight. In this surgical procedure the diseased opaque cornea is replaced by a clear healthy donor corneal tissue which restores sight by allowing the light rays to enter the eye through transplanted clear cornea. This procedure of corneal grafting is possible only on the availability of donor cornea by process of eye donation. By donating eyes after death one human being can restore sight to a blind person. This gift of sight is invaluable in these visually handicapped persons.

Eye donation is possible only after death. It can be done by any person of any age, sex, caste, religion. People who wear glasses or have undergone an eye surgery can also donate. People of any age group can pledge to donate his/her eyes after death. Even if one has not pledged the relative can give their consent for the donation of the eyes of the diseased.

Donate eyes to help someone in dark to see the light

Eye Donation: Why, How, Where, by Whom

Why Eye Donation?

Eye Donation is the only way to give sight to more than 25 lacs blind Indians who suffer from defective cornea, Out of whom more than 60% are children below the age of 12 years. This number keeps on increasing every year.

Eye Donation allows each and every one of us a chance to perform social good. It costs us nothing and makes no demand on our time. There is no shortage of potential donors. All that needs to be done is a timely request and quick eye collection service.

Our eyes, the useless commodity that we burn or bury after death, can be reacyled into the priceless gift of vision for lacs of our corneally blind fellows.

In case the donated cornea is found out to be not good enough for vision. It can still be used for emergency patching up of defective corneas. This can save a patient’s eye until a healthy cornea  becomes available.

Who Can Donate?

Eye can be donated by any person of any AGE-SEX-CASTE-RELIGION as also those who wear glasses or have undergone cataract or any other eye operations.

Eyes can be donated even if they have not been pledged earlier.

Where can it be donated?

The donor need not be taken to the eye bank. The team working for Eye Donation movement comes to receive the eyes from wherever the donor is, at no cost. The donor’s face is not disfigured because of enucleation.

Eye can be enucleated preferably within six to eight hours of death.

How Donated Eyes are Utilised:

After enucleation the eyes are sent to the Eye Bank Co-ordination & Research Center for evaluation and further distribution. The eyes are evaluated by trained technicians as per the international standards.

The deserving blind patients are called in accordance with the waiting list. Even emergency cases are dealt with in conformity with the guidelines prescribed.

Our eyes after our life can be useful to someone

Eye Donation: Facts and Misbeliefs

1. Anyone can be a donor irrespective of age caste creed religion sex or blood group.

2. Eye donation costs nothing. It is absolutely free of charge.

3. The process of enucleation of eyes can be completed within 30 minutes.

4. The family members of the deceased can give consent to the donation of the eyes of the deceased donor, even though the deceased donor had not pledged the eyes earlier.

5. Only thin transparent layer in front of the iris, called the cornea, is used for transplantation.

6. Corneas do not have any direct blood supply. Therefore eyes can be enucleated up to six hours of death. To get good quality of eye balls sooner enucleation after death is always preferable.

7. The quality of corneas can be maintained by covering the closed eyelids with moist cotton wool.

8. Enucleation  of eyes do not cause disfigurement of face. The vacuum created due to removal of eye balls is filled in by cotton and covered by a cap below the eyelids.

9. Many people have a wrong notion that if eyes are removed from the body of the deceased the person will become blind in the next birth. If we believe it to be true, can we not achieve moksha by donating the entire body so that we need not take another birth?

10. Spectacle wearers and people suffering from systemic disorders like diabetics, hypertensives, asthma can also donate eyes.

11. Corneas of persons suffering from AIDS, jaundice, rabies, syphilis, tetanus, septicemia and viral diseases are considered unfit for donation.

Let your eyes change someone’s life:

1. Corneas which are for some reason unfit for translations are in valuable for research.

2. Transplants help only when the loss of sight is solely due to corneal defect and the rest of the eye’s mechanism is intact.

3. A person wishing to donate the eyes after death must inform such inclination to the members of family, neighbors, acquaintance and friends.

4. It there is a death in the family or friend circle, all that need to be done is to motivate the relatives and convince them for consenting to eye donation of the deceased.

5. If many so happen that the relatives who are in state of deep grief may not be in a position to think of eye donation, when each and every one of us can play a vital role by reminding them to grab the opportunity of gifting sight to two blind persons.

6. Just make a phone call to the social worker in the nearby vicinity informing about the death and the place, and the rest will be taken care of by the team working for the noble cause.

7. Keeping at a handy place the panel list of social workers of Yuvraj Eye Donation Movement can be useful for contacting them.

Till the Eye Donation Team Arrives

1. Obtain the vital death certificate quickly and if possible the photocopy ready

2. Close the eyelids

3. Cover the closed eyelids with moist cotton wool.

4. Switch off the fan and if available switch on the air conditioner.

5. Raise the donor’s head by about six inches by placing two pillows under It