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Save a sight
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Eye donation campaigns need to be highlighted given the number of visually handicapped people in India, says M. VEERASAMY. The eye donation fortnight is now being observed.
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AP
CORNEAL disease rates as one of the prime factors or reasons for blindness.
According to the National Programme for the Control of Blindness, 20 lakh people lose their sight in our country every year because of corneal disease and injury. And it's equally dismal when one hears of the solution too. Against the estimated requirement of one lakh corneas per year, about 22,000 pairs of eyes are harvested each year in India. It is negligible when compared to the need.
What is corneal blindness?
For normal sight, the cornea (the outermost transparent layer of the eye) and the lens must be healthy and transparent. Light rays coming from an object are focused on the retina (the sensitive layer of the eye).
In some cases, due to corneal disease or injury, the cornea becomes opaque, resulting in temporary blindness. Corneal transplantation is the only treatment/solution.
Corneal transplantation: The opaque cornea is replaced with a healthy cornea received from the donor. This is called corneal transplantation or (keratoplasty). There is a myth that the eye ball must be transplanted. It is not true. Eye donation can be performed only after a person passes away.
Who can donate the eye?
Any one of any age group.
A person who wore spectacles and even a person who had undergone a cataract surgery.
Eyes from a person who had died from AIDS, cancer, rabies and jaundice are not used.
What should relatives/friends do after a person passes away?
Since eyes should be removed within six hours from the time of death, it is important that relatives/friends inform the nearest eye bank immediately. After a person passes away, it is ideal that the eye lids are closed and moist cotton placed on them to keep the cornea healthy. Fans must be switched off. There is no need for a special room to remove the eyes. The doctor will remove the eye on the spot and it is a procedure that will take 15 to 20 minutes. There is no deformity to the deceased person's facial features.
According to the listing in the registration maintained in the eye hospital, patients in need of a cornea are informed and brought to the hospital. Corneal transplantation surgery is then performed. Preference is given to bilateral blind people.
Of a pair of the eyes received from a donor, one each is transplanted in two visually handicapped persons. The donor's and recipient's name are kept confidential.
The eye bank is an organisation which deals with the collection, storage and distribution of a donor eye for the purpose of corneal grafting. The eyes are collected through an eye bank by an eye surgeon or a qualified ophthalmic technician and then processed for short and long term use. At present there are 150 eye banks in India.
The 18th national fortnight on eye donation is being observed from August 25 to September 8. Remember, two corneas from a donor spell vision for two visually handicapped persons.
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