What We Do
We are devoted to protecting the quality of the cornea as soon as donation begins so that the great love from the donor may gain traction and the recipient can see again.
The National Eye Bank of Taiwan is not engaged in the importation of corneas from overseas. It is devoted completely to safeguarding the quality of corneas donated by the nationals by providing related instruments and materials relevant to the in-situ excision and protection of the cornea. Exclusive storage solutions and containers for corneas are imported specifically from overseas so that the quality of corneas from donors can be better maintained as soon as they are extracted.
As soon as donation begins, we help confirm if related information of the donor is correct, provide related instruments and materials and help the ophthalmologist with the extraction, protect the post-operative look of the donor, and then send the cornea in a keep-warm transport box to the eye bank for microbial culture, cornea stratification, and endothelial cell testing. Cornea quality test results are provided to the surgeon for reference while it is given to a suitable recipient.
Some corneas cannot be used for optical transplantation with the viewing ability according to quality test results. Nevertheless, the National Eye Bank of Taiwan will help change the storage method and then extend the duration of storage up to two years so that the great love from the donor may be transformed to help those requiring therapeutic or emergency cornea transplantation. Such emergency transplantation might be unable to effectively restore visual acuity. Nevertheless, it helps protect the recipient from progression of corneal disease and from the possibility of losing his/her eyeball.
Quality Maintenance
Besides classifying cornea testing, the laboratory of the eye bank adopts air laminar flow equipment and periodically tests cleanness and quality of the environment and monitors related data on the entry and shipping of corneas and the transport environment so that
A series of quality control and maintenance is available from the start of donation to the preservation of the environment and the receiving of the cornea by the recipient hospital.
After the cornea is transplanted, the post-operative results and related microbial sampling reports are followed up. Related causes are analyzed and are provided to the surgeon for reference in order to improve the success rate of transplantation.
Exchange with the World
Eye banks have been in existence for years internationally. By exchanging with other countries on eye banks, it helps improve the protection over quality of corneas or facilitate preparations for further stratified cornea transplantation so that optimal quality is ensured both on the donor end and on the recipient end.