Cornea Transplant | Things To Know About Cornea Transplantation

In Bangladesh, 7.5 million people are suffering from low-imaginative and prescient blindness. Out of them more than 5,00,000 people are stricken by corneal illnesses and look forward to corneal transplantation. Eye banks are working towards amassing cadaver donor corneas to lessen corneal blindness. But, not many corneas had been amassed from local sources and eye hospitals are constantly trying to acquire corneas from abroad to enhance the corneal blindness scenario in Bangladesh.

The primary eye banking and cornea transplantation application in Bangladesh started in 1984. From 1984‐2017, extra than 5500 cornea transplantations took place and 3,000 of these transplants have been completed 2009‐from 2017. Cornea transplantation has improved 3-fold due to the fact of 2009 in comparison to earlier instances. An average of 500 corneas are transplanted each year in Bangladesh. Several corneal surgeons become the most effective 8 in 2009 which now stands at 22. In 2009 human beings had to look ahead to years for a cornea while now there is no waiting time before possible getting cornea transplantation. Hospitals are now providing subsidies for transplantation for sufferers from the low-profit institution. As a result, the number of cornea transplants has increased. Patients now prefer to have transplantation in Bangladesh not going abroad. 

What is Cornea Transplantation?

A cornea transplant is a surgery to remove all or part of an injured or damaged cornea and replace it with healthy donor tissue or artificial cornea. It is used to improve low vision, relieve pain also save the eye from infection and damage.

For sufferers with a damaged cornea, a corneal transplant surgical operation help restores clear imagination and prescient through changing the authentic cornea with wholesome corneal tissue from an organ donor. Corneal harm can be a result of Corneal scarring from infection or injury.

If you take the surgery by any skilled and experienced doctor, a corneal transplant can last 10 years or more without complications. Although to have a regular check-up for your eye is still very important. 

Why Need Cornea Transplantation?

Cornea transplants are usually done to replace your cornea with any organ donor or artificial cornea. It improves your eyesight and also repairs eye infections or damage.

 Some of the most common reasons for a cornea transplant :

• Keratoconus is one of the most common reasons for corneal transplantation. It usually occurs among young patients. It makes the cornea weak and also it changes the cornea shape. It does now not commonly appear until the early teens, but can every so often arise in advance. Many instances of keratoconus are moderated and may be controlled using the use of touch lenses or glasses. But in some sufferers, it could develop to the factor where a cornea transplant is necessary.
• Degenerative is also a common reason for corneal transplants. This takes place faster as you get older. As the cells weaken, as opposed to clearing excess fluid, they allow it to build up, main to cloudy imaginative and prescient.
• An infection inside the cornea does no longer reply to antibiotics and continues returning
• A small hole develops inside the cornea due to harm (known as a corneal perforation)
• The cornea is scarred because of an infection or damage.

Risks Of Cornea Transplantation

A cornea transplant is surprisingly secure. Still, it does carry a small threat of serious headaches, including:

• Rejection of the donor cornea
• Issues with the stitches used to cosy the donor cornea
• Retinal problems, such as retinal detachment or swelling
• Strain increases within the eyeball (glaucoma)
• Eye contamination
• Bleeding

Cornea Transplantation In Bangladesh

There has always been a crisis for cornea for the transplantation of the cornea in Bangladesh.  Cornea collection in Bangladesh is a big challenge. Most hospitals in Bangladesh import cornea from abroad. But the pandemic of Covid-19  has slowed down the entire process of cornea collection and import. The specialist said cornea surgery has been reduced by 60-70 per cent in Bangladesh during the pandemic.

Shandhani has so far accrued 4090 corneas from local assets because it started cornea collection in 1984. Dr Ali said, "It amassed 32 corneas in 2018, which came right down to 19 in 2020 due to the pandemic," – Chairman of the Eye Bank Sub-Committee of Sandhani National Eye Donation Society

Bangladesh is dependent on cornea imported from unique countries -- specifically from the united states, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- to satisfy the needs of patients.

Very few human beings donate corneas in our society. Often, corneas can not be gathered as donors' bereaved family contributors do not need to permit the elimination of his/her cornea. Very few are accumulated from unclaimed bodies. So, there's a huge shortage of donated cornea in Bangladesh. 

In Bangladesh, maximum cornea transplantations are finished via Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and medical institution, Sandhani Eye hospital and Vision Eye Hospital.

Altogether, they usually conduct forty to 50 transplants in keeping with the month. However, it has reduced to 10 to 15 in step with month because of difficulty in import amid the pandemic duration.

But still, many eye hospitals provide a cornea transplant service. Vision Eye Hospital is one of them. They provide their best services to their patients. They provide cornea from an eye bank and also import from a different country. “We tried our best to give the patient the best surgery at a low cost”, said Dr Masudul Hasan - Consultant & Surgeon, Cornea & Interior segment, Vision Eye Hospital

Final Thought

Ophthalmologists assume Bangladesh might not have suffered this shortage in the course of the pandemic if it had enough donors and a robust eye bank. It's going to now not be feasible to fulfil the nearby needs via uploading cornea most effective, especially in the course of the pandemic, that is possible to move on for an extended length.

People should be encouraged to donate cornea and the government can organise campaigns for cornea donation in which pupils from all religions can be engaged. Media and social platforms also can play a vast position in this act of charity. 

As a final verdict, we can say that it is quite safe, easy and affordable to get a cornea transplant in Bangladesh.