They reached the light with corneal transplant

Prof. Dr. Özlem Evren Kemer, Head of the Cornea and Ocular Surface Unit of the Turkish Ophthalmology Association, invited citizens to donate organs during Organ and Tissue Donation Week, celebrated from November 3rd to 9th, and made important statements about corneal transplantation. Prof. Dr. Kemer said, "Transplanting a donated corneal layer into another patient's eye brings light to our blind patients. Organ transplantation saves lives, corneal transplantation saves eyesight, and sight is precious to all of us. Corneal transplantation can help people with corneal diseases or injuries regain their vision."

47 EYE BANKS AVAILABLE Prof. Dr. Kemer noted that the number of corneal transplant surgeries in Turkey is rapidly increasing, saying, "There are approximately 47 eye banks in our country. Coordination and information sharing between these banks is very rapid thanks to the system implemented by the Ministry of Health's Tissue, Organ Transplant, and Dialysis Services Department. In the event of an urgent corneal need, the required cornea can be delivered to the patient very quickly from any bank in Turkey."

Prof. Dr. Kemer, noting that corneal diseases rank fifth among diseases that cause vision loss, said, "A corneal transplant is simply the replacement of the transparent layer on the front surface of the eye. Healthy corneal layers taken from deceased, compatible donors are transplanted into the eyes of patients experiencing vision loss. This procedure causes no aesthetic changes to the donor's face or eyes. The tissue removed is merely a thin, transparent layer."

TRANSPLANTS ARE PERFORMED IN OUR COUNTRY AT WORLD STANDARDS Thanks to the effective system established by the Ministry of Health, eye banks and affiliated tissue procurement centers store suitable corneas taken from deceased donors under sterile conditions and deliver them to patients awaiting transplants. Prof. Dr. Kemer stated: "In the past, cornea waiting lists in our country were quite long. Today, ophthalmologists in Turkey have gained extensive experience in corneal transplants, and corneal transplant surgeries are performed at world standards. The Ministry of Health and the Turkish Ophthalmology Association have conducted significant awareness-raising activities."

VISION QUALITY IMPROVES FASTER Prof. Dr. Kemer stated that modern techniques, which replace only the damaged layer, are now being successfully implemented in corneal transplants, saying, "Today, with partial corneal transplants such as DALK (Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty) and DMEK (Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty), we replace only the diseased layer. In these methods, we transplant only the necessary portion, eliminating the need to replace the entire cornea. This way, less tissue is used and the risk of the eye rejecting the new tissue is reduced. Furthermore, vision quality is restored much more quickly in these patients."