"“ leave your ‘I’s when you live.............leave your eyes when you leave”"
• Facts about blindness
More than 10 million Indians are blind.
One- fifth are affected by corneal blindness- 60% of them are below the age of 12.
• About Navnit Shah Eye Bank (NSEB)
Navnit Shah Eye Bank is a not-for- profit organisation committed to the noble cause of eye donation
since its inception in 2000.
The spectrum of eye banking related activities undertaken by NSEB includes:
Public awareness programs about eye donation
Collection of corneal tissue from donors
• Till date NSEB has collected 336 eyeballs
Distribution of donor tissues for use in corneal transplant surgery
Training of postgraduate students and fellows
• FAQ’s about eye donation and corneal transplantation
What is cornea
Cornea is a transparent dome shaped outermost layer that covers the front black portion of the eye
What is corneal blindness
Being transparent cornea allows the light rays to pass through it so that we can see. Sometimes the cornea becomes
opaque or cloudy or looses its transparency following trauma, infection or other diseases. A person with an opaque
cornea cannot see, this condition is known as corneal blindness
What is corneal transplantion
A corneally blind person can see again through a surgical procedure known as corneal transplantation whereby the
damaged cornea is replaced by a healthy cornea from a deceased donor.
Who can donate eyes?
Persons of any agecan donate their eyes after death.
Even those who used spectacles, and people with diabetes or high blood pressure or who have undergone
any surgery in the eye can donate.
However, the consent of the next of ken is essential for removing the eye after the donor’s death.
A donor is approached only after obtaining the written consent of the immediate family member.
Is the whole eye used for the transplant?
No, only the thin transparent layer in front of the iris called the cornea is used for the transplant
How quickly should corneas be removed after death
Corneas should be removed within 6-8 hours of death
Is it necessary to take the donor to the hospital
No, our eye bank team will go to the donor’s residence or the hospital and do the needful.
Does eye donation disfigure the face
No, removal of the cornea does not cause any disfigurement.
Will this delay the funeral arrangements?
No, the tissues are excised within 20 minutes. Family members of the deceased can proceed with the
funeral arrangements as planned.
How is the tissue harvested from a donor?
The eye bank uses a simple procedure known corneoscleral rim excision. The excised cornea is kept in a
preservative fcalled the MK medium and stored in the refrigerator until it is used for surgery
Are all corneas fit for transplantation?
Corneas of persons suffering from AIDS, jaundice, rabies, syphilis, tetanus, septicaemia, and viral diseases
are considered unfit for transplant.
Are potential donors screened for contagious diseases?
Yes, only corneas from donors free of contagious diseases are used for transplantation.
What happens to corneas that re not used for surgery?
Corneas that are rejected are used for research and training purposes
Will the donor or recipient family know the identity of the recipient?
No, the donor-recipient information in kept strictly confidential
Does the donor family receive any fees?
No, it is illegal to buy or sell human eyes, organs or tissues. The entire cost of cornea retrieval is borne
by the eye bank
Is it necessary to pledge one’s eyes before death?
Pledging of the eyes is important, but the consent of the family members is equally essential, because the
corneas cannot be removed without their consent. Therefore, it is important that one shares his/her desire to
donate the eyes with the family members.
• An appeal
o If you are present at a death try motivating the family to make an eye donation. If you succeed in motivating the family members of the deceased, call the eye bank.
At the time of eye donation, remember:
Turn off the fan above the deceased person’s body
Close both eyes and place a clean hankerchief with ice cubes on the eyes of the donor
Raise the donor’s head with a couple of pillows
Keep the death certificate from a doctor ready by the time the eyebank team arrives.
