What does a cornea surgeon expect from Eye banks
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The document discusses recommendations for improving eye banks and corneal transplantation processes. It suggests establishing a centralized online patient and doctor registry for eye banks. Eye banks should provide estimates for wait times, adhere to testing and quality standards, and be transparent about waitlists. Eye banks abroad often provide pre-cut tissue and evaluate tissue quality using OCT scans. Regular meetings between eye banks and surgeons could improve processes. Eye banks should provide additional tissues and materials beyond donor corneas and conduct training workshops. In cities with multiple eye banks, cooperation rather than competition should be prioritized.
What does a cornea surgeon expect from Eye banks
- 1. Dr. Quresh B. Maskati Cornea Surgeon and Trustee, EBCRC, Mumbai
- 2. Ideal would be a centralised list in the cloud, accessible by patients and doctors and all participating eye banks Ability to register patients online, instead of by personal visits Ability of eye bank to give a realistic estimate of time it may take for the patient to get the tissue 10-10-2013 2www.maskatieyeclinic.com
- 3. Evaluation and grading by qualified technicians Sticking to SOP and protocols for testing of blood and the tissue Subjecting themselves to regular performance and quality control audits by an external agency Transparency in maintenance of waiting lists Regular reports to surgeons about number of eyes received, processed and distributed and reasons for rejecting tissue 10-10-2013 3www.maskatieyeclinic.com
- 4. With the advent of lamellar grafts, most eye banks abroad give surgeons pre-cut tissue as per request received Several of them have an OCT machine, to detect LASIK done in donors which make the tissue unfit for PK and to evaluate the tissue cut in the eye-bank for quality Of course, not-for-profit eye banks in the USA charge up to $3500 per tissue compared to barely Rs.10,000/- (in Mumbai) 10-10-2013 4www.maskatieyeclinic.com
- 5. Each eye bank should have at least quarterly meetings with the surgeons using tissue from their bank This interaction will iron out many irritants on both sides and make each party appreciate the role of the other This will also lead to several suggestions from the surgeons which may streamline eye bank operations for the better 10-10-2013 5www.maskatieyeclinic.com
- 6. The eye bank should not only provide donor corneas but also: Sclera, preserved in absolute alcohol Amniotic membrane Be able to make autologous serum drops Conduct wet-labs to train eye surgeons in keratoplasty techniques 10-10-2013 6www.maskatieyeclinic.com Tip of ice-berg
- 7. In cities with multiple eye banks: Co-operate with each other, instead of fighting Have a common MTNL number, so public has to remember only one number Do not steal technicians trained by one eye bank Share donor and recipient data to avoid multiple registrations and frustration when a recipient informs that his surgery is already done when called to collect eyeball Do not duplicate existing but underutilised facilities in one eye bank 10-10-2013 7www.maskatieyeclinic.com
- 8. Almost all the suggestions made in the previous slides are being implemented by EBCRC or are on the EBCRC wish list We sincerely wish that we could all join forces to optimise utilisation of tissue for the benefit of our patients We are open to efforts by any persons or organisations in this matter We will continue to strive to meet surgeons expectations 10-10-2013 8www.maskatieyeclinic.com