Rotary Eye Bank

The Need for Eye balls (Cornea) 4th of the world’s blind in India 27 million - moderate sight impairment 9 million - bilateral blind 260,000 - blind children 4.6 Million - No of Corneal Blinds in India Out of 4.6 Million 90% are below the age of 45 years including 60% are below the age of 12 years. Out of 4.6 Million, at least 3 Million can benefit by Corneal transplantation. Requirement of our country We need one million eyes per annum then only we can meet our demand

What is Cornea? The cornea is the clear window covering the front of the eye. It is the main focusing element of the eye. Vision will be dramatically reduced if the cornea becomes cloudy from disease. What is Corneal Blindness? Corneal blindness means that one's cornea, which is the transparent and thin outer layer of the eye becomes clouded due to  Injuries  Infections  Nutrition deficiency especially in Childhood  Chemical burns  Post operative complications & infections.

What is a Corneal Transplantation? This is a surgical procedure which replaces damaged or injured cornea with a similarly shaped piece of a healthy cornea from a donor. Cornea is removed from the Donor Eyes Eye After Corneal Transplantation

Why should Eyes be donated? There is no substitute for human tissue. The transplantation process depends upon the priceless gift of cornea donation from one human to the next. The use of artificial tissue for transplantation has been unsuccessful.

Why you should consider Eye Donation? There are lac of Children and adults in India who are blind. They know only one colour BLACK. If you donate your eyes, you are giving vision to two blind people and making their life self dependent and joyful. The gift of sight that will dramatically improve the quality of life for a person who has otherwise lived a life of total darkness.

Where are we in Corneal Transplantation? There is a severe lack of donor eyes in India and only 5,000 operations are being performed every year, while more than 30,000 new victims are added each year to the total list of 7 lakhs patients to be cured. In spite of having professional surgeons, corneal transplantation cannot be carried out due to lack of donor corneas. In India there are more than 80 lakh deaths every year but sadly the corneal donations do not exceed a few thousand.

Lack of Eye Donation The reason for this may be – Lack of awareness in General public – Improper development of infrastructure in villages – Absence of motivation even among the trained personnel Social & religious taboos.

Who can Donate Eyes ? Anyone can donate eyes. It does not matter even if you – Have undergone any eye surgery – Poor Eyesight – Wear glasses – Diabetic – Hypertensive – Extremes of Age

Who can Donate? What should be the Age of the Donor? There is no limit for Age. Eyes from all the age groups can be used for transplantation. Can a living person donate his eyes? No, Eyes are not taken from a living person. It can only be removed after death. Anybody can pledge to However, donate his eyes and his wish can be fulfilled by his kin after his demise. What part of the eye is transplanted ? Although the entire eye is removed from the body, it is only the CORNEA that can be transplanted

Will eye donation affect the appearance of the donor? No, Artificial eyes can be fitted in place so no disfigurement of the body will be there. Does eye donation cause delay in the funeral process? No, because time required for removal of eyes is only 15 minutes. Moreover eye bank personnel come to a place wherever the body of the deceased is kept. The body need not be shifted to Eye Bank. How successful is corneal transplantation? Over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient's vision.

Donate Eye What happens if corneas are not suitable for transplant? Donors and eyes are carefully evaluated. If your corneas are found to be unsuitable for surgery, the sclera (or white part of the eye) may still be suitable for Donation. Are any costs involved in eye donation? No fees are charged from the Family. The Rotary Eye Bank will rush a doctor to the donor's home. This is a free service in the public interest.

EYE DONATION PROCEDURE Inform ROTARY EYE BANK by Phone immediately as the eyes have to be removed within 6 hours after death The donor need not be taken to the Eye bank. The Eye bank team will come to take the eyes at no cost to the donor or family. Place wet cotton with ice over the closed eye lids. It will keep the tissue moist. Raise Head with a pillow. Switch off the fans The Eye Bank personnel visit donor's home. The eyes are removed by trained Doctors using sterile procedure. Artificial eyes are fitted in place to ensure no scar or disfigurement of the face 10 cc of blood sample is also collected from the donor for testing.

Eye Donation Procedure On reaching the Eye bank, the tissues are examined, processed and used for corneal transplant operation as early as possible. The needy patients are contacted in accordance with the waiting list. The recipient of cornea will always remain anonymous but the donor family should be happy knowing that the eyes have been used to restore the vision of two blind persons. A letter of thanks along with an EYE DONATION CERTIFICATE are sent to the Donor's family.

What can you do for Eye Bank ? INFORM the Eye Bank if unfortunately there is death among the relatives JOIN HANDS with us for the movement of EYE DONATION MOTIVATE family members of the person who has died in your area. SPREAD information about eye donation Your WORD OF MOUTH will help the movement YOUR WILLINGNESS to donate eyes of your close relative after death will be greatly appreciated by the blind who will now have sight. You can ENROLL your name for voluntary eye donation You can offer your SERVICE to eye bank in any form

Making the DECISION The decision about whether to donate your eyes is not a simple one for most people. Many reasons for donating eyes have been expressed by donors and their families. Often these people will say things like –“It won't be needing my eyes when I'm gone, so if they can be of use to someone else, then why not help them out" –“If some good can come out of our family's tragedy, then that will help to lessen our grief" –“Part of the diseased will live on and provide sight to blind persons.’’

About Rotary Eye Bank We, The Rotary Club of Borivli, take pride in the introduction of our Eye Bank par excellence. The Rotary Eye Bank is a culmination of the dreams and efforts of Rotary Club of Borivli, under the supervision & guidance of Rotary International. The Rotary Eye Bank is an exclusive modern facility situated near the Borivli Station Road, is most conveniently located Eye collection, processing and storage center. With a central location in Borivli, this center will be a boon for the beneficiaries from the western suburbs of Mumbai to Thane. The Eye bank, one of its kinds in Borivli, has a 24- hour Tissue Processing Centre. The Rotary Eye bank boasts of a Konan Specular Microscope handled by an experienced technician, for tissue processing. A Carl-Zeiss Slit lamp for tissue evaluation has also been installed. To meet International Standards, a Laminar Air-flow has been specially installed to maintain the highest level of aseptic standards. A doctor-on-call with an Ambulance facility, for a prompt response, to donation calls has also been arranged.

GIVEN SIGHT TO SINCE 15 AUGUST

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