Eye Donation General Information

The two most common reasons for requiring a transplant are a clouding over and loss of transparency in the cornea in later life, as is the case with Bullous Keratopathy, or to the loss of the smooth rounded shape of the cornea meaning that light cannot be regularly focused into the eye, as occurs in Keratoconus. Other problems which may require a transplant include herpes virus infection of the eye, accidental injury to the eye, corneal scarring due to other trauma, hereditary or congenital corneal clouding, or severe bacterial infection.

This condition involves the central cornea thinning and bulging forward, and may also be associated with central corneal scarring. It is usually bilateral (occurs in both eyes) though frequently one eye is more affected than the other. Onset is usually at puberty, and it’s estimated to affect 1 in every 20,000 people. While contact lenses can be used to maintain the regular shape of the cornea, in 5-10 per cent of patients with keratoconus this will not give satisfactory results, and a corneal transplant is required. In Australia, it is the most common condition requiring a transplant, accounting for 31 per cent of all transplants performed. It also has the highest success rate following transplantation, with 97 per cent of transplanted corneas surviving the first year successfully, and 95 per cent of grafts surviving past four years. Most recipients are between 20-45 years of age.

Corneal dystrophy is a term to describe a group of disorders where abnormal material accumulates in the outer layer of the cornea. The accumulation of material may cause the cornea to lose its transparency and may cause a loss of vision or blurred vision. Most forms of corneal dystrophy affect both eyes, progress slowly and tend to run in families. In Australia, it is the third most common reason for a transplant, accounting for 11 pre cent of all transplants performed. The success rate of a transplant for this condition, as measured by transplanted corneas surviving one year post-operatively, is 94 per cent.

Bullous keratopathy is a generic term for corneal oedema (swelling) where the epithelium is raised in blisters. It involves a loss of clarity and clouding over of the cornea, due to the gradual impairment of the endothelial cells responsible for keeping the cornea clear and healthy. It can occur for many reasons including hereditary susceptibility, previous eye surgery, or just simply advancing years. In Australia, it is the second most common condition requiring a transplant, accounting for 22 per cent of all transplants performed. The success rate of a transplant for this condition, as measured by transplanted corneas surviving one year post-operatively, is 83 per cent.

Data from the Australian Corneal Graft Registry (one of the largest of its kind in the world) indicate that the Australian one year graft survival for all conditions is 87 per cent decreasing to 73 per cent at four years. Some conditions such as keratoconus have even higher success rates (97 per cent).