In our country, there are eye banks in Ankara and Istanbul.Eye banks are responsible for harvesting corneal tissues from deceased donors, preserving these tissues in a proper media, determining if the harvested tissue is appropriate for transplantation and delivering the tissue to the transplantation centers.Cornea is harvested from individuals with healthy corneal tissue who die due to various reasons.It is necessary to learn the cause of death of the donor to prevent transmission of any diseases to the recipient.Blood of the donor is analyzed to identify any microorganisms which may cause diseases such as HIV, infectious hepatitis and syphilis.Blood incompatibility is not an issue due to the fact that cornea is not a vascular organ.
Ideally, the cornea should be harvested within the first 12 hours after death.Ever-evolving technology and appropriate tissue storage media allow removal of only the corneal tissue (the outermost transparent part of the eye, measuring approximately 15 mm in diameter and 0.6 mm in thickness) or in other words, the eye is not completely removed.Therefore, donation of cornea does not cause a recognizable change in the deceased.
Corneal cells, which are harvested from deceased donors and preserved in special nutritious solutions, are examined under special microscopes to determine if the tissue characteristics meet the criteria of transplantation.The ones which are deemed appropriate are optimally transplanted to patients within 7 days.