SPANISH
img

Florida Lions Eye Bank is the Bridge Between a Loved One Departed and the Beauty of Sight Restored

THE ROLE OF AN EYE BANK: Donor to Recipient

The first successful corneal transplant was performed in 1905, but corneal transplantation remained an uncommon procedure until the first eye bank opened forty years later. The innovation of eye banking made it possible for corneas to be preserved long enough to be shipped to surgical facilities, where patients waited for the invaluable tissue that would return their vision.

Today, eye banks around the world remain the bridge between donor and recipient. For over 50 years in South Florida, Florida Lions Eye Bank has been the link between a loved one departed and the beauty of sight restored. But how does this happen? Below is a step-by-step outline of how Florida Lions Eye Bank transforms one person’s selfless wish to donate into another person’s ability to see.
img

How the Process Begins

Florida Lions Eye Bank receives a call from a hospital, medical examiner’s office, or funeral home, notifying us of the death of an individual. Our trained screeners speak to the caller to find out whether this individual meets the preliminary criteria for eye donation.

If the deceased is preliminarily suitable as an eye donor, Florida Lions Eye Bank has a concise time window to contact the next of kin, perform a medical and social history questionnaire, and recover eye tissue. This needs to happen within 24 hours of death, but sooner is preferable. Once we determine whether an individual meets the preliminary criteria for eye donation, we move very quickly to ensure the best possible outcome for the recipient.

Our first step is checking the donor registry. In Florida, anyone who wishes to be a donor of eyes, organs, and other tissues can register at donatelifeflorida.org. If the deceased is registered as an eye/ organ/tissue donor, then Florida Lions Eye Bank is in the fortunate position of knowing their wishes. This makes the discussion about donation much easier for the next of kin.

Speaking of Donor Families

Florida Lions Eye Bank contacts the potential donor’s next of kin to discuss eye donation. If the deceased is registered as an eye/ organ/ tissue donor, we notify the next of kin of this selfless decision. If not, the next of kin has the opportunity to consent on behalf of the deceased, giving the gift of sight to others in need.

In either case, Florida Lions Eye Bank goes through a medical and social history questionnaire (MSHQ) about the donor with someone they knew well. This interview can be done over the phone, and it takes about 20 minutes to complete. The questions asked are similar to those asked before blood donation: some are personal, but all are invited to ensure the recipient's safety.
img

The Recovery Procedure

A trained recovery technician travels from Florida Lions Eye Bank to the donor’s location, usually a hospital or medical examiner’s office. The first step in the recovery procedure is examining the donor’s body to screen for signs of infectious disease or indications of high-risk behavior, such as intravenous drug use. Then, the recovery technician draws a sample of the donor’s blood to be tested for viral hepatitis, syphilis, HIV, and other blood-borne diseases.

Next, the donor's eyes and face are prepared for recovery using an antiseptic surgical solution. The technician dons a gown, mask, and gloves and drapes the donor’s face to create a sterile field. Next they removes the donor’s cornea using very fine, specialized surgical tools which minimize folding or pulling of the tissue and ensure that the donor’s face is unaffected by the recovery procedure. Finally, each cornea is recovered, it is placed in storage media to keep the cells viable.

When the recovery procedure is finished, the technician places a plastic prosthesis in each eye to keep its shape, and closes the donor’s eyelids. The entire process takes 15-20 minutes from start to finish. Cornea donation does not delay funeral arrangements, and the donor’s family can still have a viewing if they choose.

From Eye Bank to Operating Room

The recovery technician brings the corneal tissue back to Florida Lions Eye Bank’s laboratory, where it is evaluated microscopically to check for deformities or damage. The blood sample drawn from the donor is tested for infectious diseases that would present a danger to the recipient. Our staff reviews all the compiled information, to ensure that the tissue is both safe and of sufficient quality. If everything is OK, the tissue is deemed suitable for surgical use and shipped to a surgeon for transplantation.
img
Meanwhile, the recipient is preparing for his or her corneal transplant. Most cornea recipients are patients suffering from a long-term corneal disease that gradually causes blindness. For many of these patients, a transplant is the last hope of restoring sight, following months or years of other types of treatment. Fortunately, patients in the United States do not generally have to endure long waits for corneal tissue. This is due to many selfless donors, their families' cooperation, and the meticulous work of eye banks throughout the country.
img
On the transplant day, the patient arrives at the surgery center and is brought to the operating room. First the transplanting surgeon removes the central portion of the donor cornea with a trephine, an instrument resembling a small round cookie cutter. The surgeon then excises the damaged cornea from the patient’s eye using the same trephine, so the shape of the excision matches that of the graft. Finally, the donor cornea is sutured into place. The entire procedure usually takes about an hour, and in most cases, the recipient goes home the same day.
img

The Beauty of Sight Restored

The cornea recipient follows up with his or her surgeon as needed to ensure the transplant is healing and achieving the necessary clarity needed to restore vision. If the recipient wishes to contact the donor’s family, she or he can ask the transplanting surgeon how to get in touch with Florida Lions Eye Bank. While corneal transplant recipients will not be told their donor's name, they may choose to write letters of gratitude to their donors' families, which Florida Lions Eye Bank helps to deliver.

Finally, Florida Lions Eye Banks sends a letter to each donor family several months after donation to acknowledge the beauty of sight that was restored to others in need. Throughout the year, Florida Lions Eye Bank also offers several programs to honor the sacrifice made by all of our donors. And of course, Florida Lions Eye Bank invites all transplant recipients, donor families, or anyone with questions to contact us.

COOPERATING PARTNERS

donatelifeflorida
scompalmer
restoresight