April is National Donate Life Month, encouraging Americans to register to be organ, eye and tissue donors.
While whole eye transplants are not currently possible, it is possible to donate corneal tissue to help restore the vision of those in need. A corneal tissue transplant, or keratoplasty, is a procedure that helps restore the eyesight of over 50,000 people in the U.S. every year. Our doctors at OSM perform nearly 80 cornea transplants each year.
The cornea is the clear, dome-like lens covering the pupil. It allows light to pass through and focus on the retina, allowing us to see. A clear, healthy cornea is required for good vision. During a corneal transplant, the damaged cornea is surgically removed and replaced with a cornea from a donor. This is the most common eye-related transplant.
Those with corneal damage or injuries are qualified to receive tissue transplants to improve vision. Damage may be a result of many conditions, including:
Corneas used in transplants come from people who have died, and almost all people are eligible cornea donors, as age, eye color, blood type and eyesight are not factors for donation. Everyone is a universal donor for corneal tissue.
Donating corneal tissue can be vision-saving or vision-restoring for the recipient patient. These transplants successfully restore the vision of recipients 90% of the time, and can also reduce pain and improve the appearance of the unhealthy cornea. Additionally, while whole eyes cannot be used for transplants, they can be used for educational purposes and research, which can lead to the development of new treatments and cures.
To learn more about corneal transplants, check out our blog with corneal and external disease specialist, Dr. Christopher Chow. Our team at Ophthalmic Specialists of Michigan strongly advocates for organ, eye, and tissue donor registration as a way to contribute and give life and quality of life to our communities.
https://www.life-source.org/latest/what-is-eye-donation/
https://www.donatelife.net/ndlm/