Corneas And Transplantation
What is the Cornea?
The cornea is the eye’s outermost layer – a thin, dome-shaped piece of tissue that covers the front of the eye and acts as the eye’s primary lens, controlling and focusing the light that enters the eye. Corneas can become damaged through infection, disease, or injury causing visual impairment and even blindness.Cornea Transplants
Cornea transplants are one of the most common human transplant procedures, with more than 30,000 performed each year in the United States. In a cornea transplant, the damaged cornea is replaced with healthy, donated tissue. Surgeons refer to a standard cornea transplant as Penetrating Keratoplasty.New Techniques Bring Better Vision
In recent years, new cornea transplant procedures have been developed that replace only the damaged layer of cells instead of the entire thickness of the cornea in some patients. These surgical techniques, known as lamellar cornea transplants (the most common is Descemet’s Stripping with Endothelial Keratoplasty or DSEK), offer better patient outcomes, according to surgeons, including faster healing times.Cornea Safety
Dedicated to tissue safety, LEBND maintains stringent standards for qualifying corneas for transplant. Our commitment to tissue safety begins with donor screening, including a review of medical records, a medical/social history interview, examination of the body, and a review of autopsy results when applicable. An extensive battery of blood tests is also performed to rule out a variety of potentially harmful infections.The LEBND is fully accredited by the Eye Bank Association of American and is in compliance with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. A highly-trained quality assurance staff provides ongoing oversight of the program.
What’s New:
March is National Eye Donor Month
Posted: 03/01/2011
Join the Lions Eye Bank of ND in celebrating National Eye Donor Month in March 2009! This special time is set aside to honor donors, donor families and cornea recipients and to educate others about becoming an eye donor.
Posted: 03/01/2011
Join the Lions Eye Bank of ND in celebrating National Eye Donor Month in March 2009! This special time is set aside to honor donors, donor families and cornea recipients and to educate others about becoming an eye donor.
