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It is not so long ago that members of the community concerned about the religious and ethical issues surrounding eye and organ donation held a meeting in Sydney. It was interesting that among all religions and beliefs there was an understanding that the decision to donate from one's own family member was easily understood and accepted. Considering that the family is the basic unit of our community, and that our presence within any particular family embraces an element of chance, it's not hard to envisage that we may have been born into any family or community within Australia or the rest of the world. This raises the question, who is your brother, and who is your sister? In December 2005 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first human organ transplant, which was a corneal transplant. Please click below for a short video. |
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Click Here for Short Video (wmv) |
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Click Here to download an Informative Booklet about the Lions NSW Eye Bank |
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Those in the community who have their eyesight restored are the recipients of a precious gift from another human being, namely the Gift of Sight. The decision by members of the community that after death their eyes will be donated to restore sight by corneal graft is a very personal one. It is a decision families should discuss. |
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The cornea is the clear tissue that covers the lens at the front of the eye. Blindness caused by clouding or distortion of the eye can be repaired by removing the damaged cornea and transplanting a healthy cornea from a donor. |
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During the transplant, the defective cornea is replaced by an identical sized piece of healthy corneal tissue and is held in place with sutures that are painless and nearly invisible. |
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The operation was first performed over a hundred years ago in 1905 and is still the basis for the current surgical technique. " . . . . the most common and successful human transplant . . . . " This microsurgery can restore vision for more than 90% of the people suffering from corneal blindness. Around 500 of these operations are performed each year in NSW. |
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Who Can Become a Donor ? As long as a cornea is healthy, it can be used to restore sight. Cataracts, poor eyesight or age do not prohibit you from becoming a donor. In most cases, those who wear glasses or contact lenses can become eye donors, as they have an optical rather than a medical problem. How Will My Donation Be Used ? Enucleation, the removal of eyes from the donor, must occur within 12 hours of death. This procedure is carried out by skilled paramedical personnel. Storage and preparation of the cornea for transplantation takes place at the Eye Bank. The cornea may be stored for up to 7 days before being given to the ophthalmic surgeon for transplantation. Corneas are given to patients on the waiting list on the basis of individual need. Those in urgent need are provided material as soon as possible. Patients usually have less than 48 hours notice of surgery. Donations (including the sclera, part of the eye which can be transplanted to rebuild eye shape) which are not used for transplantation may be used for research into the prevention of blindness and saving sight, but only if the family have consented to this. What May Affect My Family's Decision to Donate ? Some people are concerned that the removal of eyes will disfigure the donor. Every care is taken to maintain the donor's appearance. Others are concerned about any cost involved or whether funeral arrangements will be delayed. There is no cost incurred by the donor's family and, as the procurement takes place within several hours of death, families may proceed as planned with funeral arrangements. How Can I Become an Eye Donor ? There are several ways to ensure that your wish to become an eye donor is achieved. You should indicate your decision to be a donor on your driver's licence, or sign on to the Australian Organ Donor Register (through any Medicare Office), but most importantly, inform your family of your intention. These discussions will assist your next of kin to carry out your wish to become a donor. Medical personnel cannot remove the eyes if the family or next of kin do not consent. Your next of kin will be asked to sign a consent form for the donation after your death. To fulfill your wish to become a donor, your next of kin, family or doctor is asked to inform the staff at the hospital to contact the Lions NSW Eye Bank. This involves a simple phone call to the coordinator on call. This is a 24 hour a day service. |
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Those in the community who have their eyesight restored are the recipients of a precious gift from another human being, namely the Gift of Sight. The decision by members of the community that after death their eyes will be donated to restore sight by corneal graft is a very personal one. It is a decision families should discuss. |
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The Lions NSW Eye Bank is the centre for collection, storage, preparation and distribution of corneas in NSW and the ACT. It also assists research into eye disease. It is responsible for the education of medical staff and the community, liaising with relatives to provide information and advice to those considering donation. The Eye Bank provides over 450 grafts to the people of NSW each year. However the availability of corneas is limited and the demand is high. This sadly means that the corneas available are prioritised according to the urgency of need of the patient. For some people there is a waiting time of 6 months or more for transplant. The waiting time is due to lack of donors. Currently, the waiting list includes more than 400 people. Notification Your surgeon will be offered tissue suitable for you when your date for surgery approaches or if you are an urgent case. Unfortunately you may receive very little notice of the graft being available, as corneas once retrieved must be used within 7 days. Your surgeon will need to contact you within a few hours and will probably arrange surgery for the next or following day. In some cases, surgery is performed on the same day. Changes in Your Circumstance If your condition changes dramatically you should see your surgeon to reassess the situation. Your surgeon will notify the Lions NSW Eye Bank of any changes and you may be given an earlier surgery date following consultation with the Clinical Advisor of the Eye Bank. Your surgeon should be informed of any changes to your home and work telephone numbers, as well as address. A daytime contact telephone number is particularly important. If you will be away for any extended period you must notify your surgeon.
Contacting You
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After surgery the Eye Bank will send private patients an account, currently $1000. This may be claimed from your private health care fund if you are covered. You should check this with your health fund. The processing fee for public patients is met by the State Government who jointly fund the Eye Bank with the Lions NSW/ACT. This fee covers the costs involved in testing and preparing the tissue, to meet the highest possible standards. We take the utmost care to ensure that you receive tissue which is healthy and free from any contamination. We are licensed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to ensure tissue available in New South Wales carries no additional risk to patients. |
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The Eye Bank welcomes contact from people on the waiting list and is happy to provide any additional information requested. Your stay in hospital and care after your transplant surgery will need to be discussed with your surgeon, as each surgeon may have slightly different requirements. Discuss the need for your corneal transplant with family and friends. Information available in the community increases awareness and raises the importance of corneal donation. This may lead to people such as yourself getting a graft sooner. |
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Program Committee |
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Dr Pauline Rumma (Acting Manager) |
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Dr Kathy McClellan (Clinical Advisor) |
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Dr John Males (Clinical Advisor) |
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Dr Gerard Sutton (Representative of the Transplanting surgeons) |
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Four representatives of the Lions Clubs NSW-ACT Save Sight and Public Health Care Foundation |
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The Program Committee meets three times a year. |
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Staff |
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Mr Raj Devasahayam |
BAppSc, Senior Scientist |
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Mr Pierre Georges |
MSc, Transplant Coordinator |
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Dr Kathy McClellan |
PhD, FRANZCO, Clinical Adviser |
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Ms Helen McKeon |
BSc (Hons), Transplant Coordinator |
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Ms Kellie-Anne Thomas |
M MedSci (Pathology), Transplant Coordinator |
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Dr Meidong Zhu |
MBBS, MMed, PhD, Senior Scientist |
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Staff meetings are held monthly. |
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The Lions NSW Eye Bank receives funding from the NSW
State Government and |
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Lions Eye Donation Service (Melbourne) Lions Save Sight Foundation (Western Australia) Lions Clubs NSW-ACT Save Sight and Public Health Care Foundation |
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