Cornea

What is the Eye Bank?

The eye bank is the organization that sets the standards for obtaining donor tissue, and preserves and distributes the donor tissue.

We receive corneas from two main sources: the local New England Eye Bank and nationally through a cooperative network of eye banks, Tissue Banks International.

The term "eye bank" often causes confusion, because living corneal tissue cannot be "banked" for more than a few days in culture solutions. The "bank" is really a distribution network matching available donors with needy patients. We always need more donors. Your family and friends may choose to become organ donors themselves.

After permission is obtained, the donor corneas must be removed within a few hours after death. A specially trained person employed by the eye bank usually does this. The corneas are placed in a sterile tissue culture liquid that supplies nutrients to the cornea while in storage. The medical history of the donor is obtained and reviewed to help assure that the donor cornea is healthy. As an extra precaution, blood is taken from the donor and tested for AIDS and hepatitis. The corneas are inspected and, if suitable for transplanting, the eye bank notifies the surgeon as soon as normal laboratory results are obtained.

Because corneal specialists at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston frequently perform transplants, the eye bank provides us with a regular supply of donor corneas. We schedule non-emergency transplant surgery just as we schedule other ocular surgery. This depends on receiving a healthy donor within several days before surgery. Occasionally we must postpone a transplant at the last moment because a suitable donor is not available. Most often, however, cases proceed on schedule.