The occasional eye removal for corneal transplantation.

Organ retrieval provides a service to both recipients and donor families. Many patients and their families wish to donate organs at the time of death and eye donation is rarely contraindicated. Corneal transplantation is a commonly performed procedure in Canada and is done either to restore sight or eye integrity. Corneal scarring, degeneration and dystrophy, keratoconus and keratoglobus are conditions that may require corneal transplantation. In 2006, 7065 eyes were donated and 2447 corneal transplantation procedures were performed in Canada. More than 40 000 corneal transplantations are performed annually in the United States. There is always a demand for donor corneas, and Canadian corneal transplantation surgeons report having an average waiting list of 50 patients and performing 33 procedures per year. The cornea is an avascular structure, thus allowing postmortem eye retrieval, which is a relatively simple procedure. Donor enucleation presents a unique opportunity for Canada’s rural physicians to become involved in this important process. Eyes should be removed within 12 hours for donors who have been refrigerated or within 4 hours if the donor has been kept at room temperature. Following retrieval, the eyes are stored in a container of ice and must be received by the eye bank within 12 hours. Thus it is important to ensure that there is a local mechanism in place which allows these timelines to be met. In Ontario, the eye bank will pick up donated eyes at the Toronto airport. The list of resources at the end of this article provides contact information that could be used to set up logistics for a local program, and the eye bank would be able to supply containers and insulated vessels for transport purposes.