Eye Banking 101 - There is no Substitute for Human Tissue

Did you know that corneas can be donated and transplanted? In fact, since 1961, more than 2 million men, women, and children worldwide have had their sight restored through corneal transplantation. The cornea is the eye’s outermost layer, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. Everyone is a universal donor because blood types do not have to match.

We will hear from Taylor Vanek, CEBT, the Business Development Liaison for Miracles in Sight, a local eye bank. She will explain the different roles within the eye bank, the types of corneal tissue provided and why, as well as a brief history of eye banking. Taylor entered this field at the Lone Star Lions Eye Bank in 2012 as a recovery technician. Just under ten years later, she has worked in almost all areas of eye banking. She has worked with donor families, surgeons, and the community to educate and foster corneal donation and her organization’s mission to restore sight. 

Miracles In Sight is one of several non-profit eye banks located in Texas. Eye banks help to restore sight for thousands of patients worldwide by providing ophthalmologists with high quality tissue for corneal transplants. Eye banks also partner with innovators around the world to develop new processes to help meet ophthalmic challenges. 

Notice

For the safety and wellbeing of our members, guests, and TSBVI hosts, masks are required when entering and leaving the building all the way to and from the conference room, and are optional when inside the room itself. TSBVI requests we take this precaution for their students, many of whom are medically fragile.