Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus (Veneto Eye Bank Foundation) is one of the leading eye banks in Europe for the retrieval, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of human ocular tissue for transplant and for the treatment of pathologies of the anterior segment of the eye, which operates in compliance with national and international criteria and standards of quality and safety.
The Veneto Eye Bank Foundation was the first eye bank to be established in Italy and, like the other 16 structures present nationally, has been designated as the reference centre for its region for corneal transplantation and operates in full respect of the law as a non profit, social welfare organization in accordance with the guidelines approved by the Italian National Transplant Centre.
Tissues procured and screened by the Foundation are distributed on the basis of equitable and clear criteria.
Access to tissues is provided without regard to recipient sex, age, religion, race, creed, colour or national origin; only those tissues selected in compliance with the Standards of the European Eye Bank Association, the Medical Standards of the Eye Bank Association of America, the Guidelines of the Italian National Transplant Centre and the standard operating procedures of the Fondazione can be allocated and dispatched for surgical use.
Today the Fondazione distributes more than 50% of its corneal tissues outside the Veneto Region, to transplant centres throughout Italy and abroad (the Fondazione has links with 20 transplant centres internationally).
EYE BANKING PROCEDURES VIDEOS
Pre stripped membrane procedure for DMEK
Pre cut tissue for DSAEK - ICOP labs
Pre cut tissue for Ultra Thin DSAEK - ICOP labs
OCULAR TISSUES
Cornea for penetrating keratoplasty. Corneoscleral tissue of elevated stromal and endothelial quality suitable for full thickness transplantation.
Cornea for tectonic penetrating keratoplasty. Corneoscleral tissuesuitable for full thickness transplantation for the purpose of maintaining the anatomical integrity of the recipient cornea.
Cornea for endothelial keratoplasty. Corneoscleral tissue suitable for preparation in the operating theatre of a lenticule for endothelial lamellar keratoplasty surgery.
Pre-cut cornea (lenticule) for endothelial keratoplasty. Corneoscleral tissue pre-cut with a microkeratome, of varying thickness and diameter, consisting of endothelium and a portion of the corneal stroma, utilized for endothelial lamellar keratoplasty surgery
Preloaded posterior lenticule. Lenticule pre-cut with a microkeratome, consisting of a portion of the corneal stroma and endothelium, of varying thickness and diameter.
The tissue is housed in the device used for the transplant.
Pre-prepared cornea for descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty. Corneoscleral tissue in which the endothelium and Descemet’s membrane, manually separated, are partially adhered to the cornea in the periphery. The tissue is suitable for endothelial keratoplasty
Cornea for anterior lamellar keratoplasty. Corneoscleral tissue suitable for preparation in the operating theatreof a lenticule for anterior lamellar keratoplasty surgery
Lenticule for anterior lamellar keratoplasty. Portion of the anterior corneal stroma, of varying thickness and diameter, prepared by cutting with a microkeratome and utilized for optical, therapeutic, tectonic and refractive lamellar keratoplasty surgeries
Sclera. Whole scleral tissue, preserved in ethanol and utilized for scleral patches, eyelid surgery or for reconstructive implantation after enucleation
Portion of amniotic membrane for ocular surgery. Portion of amniotic membrane utilized for reconstructive surgeries of the ocular surface.
BIOBANKING OF OCULAR TISSUES
Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus is an organization committed to procure, evaluate, store and distribute donor ocular tissues for ophthalmic surgeons. Because of the need for safety, traceability, privacy, data acquisition, management, storage and protection, eye banks must follow many of the principles as for biobanks.
According to the annual statistical reports released by the European Eye Bank Association and the Eye Bank Association of America, about 40% of ocular tissues donated and processed for transplantation fail to meet the minimum safety and quality requirements, and must be disposed of, unless an alternative use can be found.
As a large volume eye bank may host up to 100-200 donor corneas at any given time, eye banks may also function as biobanks, with the potential to make human ocular tissues available for research, education and training. A major issue, however, must be considered: in the context of eye banking, ocular tissues are donated for the purpose of restoring sight through corneal transplantation.
