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HISTORIC MILESTONE FOR CORNEAL TRANSPLANTS IN VICTORIA Thursday, 14 October 2010


Thursday, 14 October, 2010

HISTORIC MILESTONE FOR CORNEAL TRANSPLANTS IN VICTORIA

The Brumby Labor Government today marked World Sight Day by celebrating the 10,000th cornea transplant in Victoria by the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA).

Visiting The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Minister Daniel Andrews joined the dedicated staff at the centre to mark the medical milestone.

“Thousands of Victorians have had their sight restored thanks to the dedicated work of the Eye Donation Service at the Centre for Eye Research Australia and the generosity of donors,” Mr Andrews said.

“This historic milestone is testament to the committed staff and doctors at the service who have made a remarkable difference in the lives of people facing blindness. Corneal transplant surgery relies upon individuals and families to donate eye tissue to restore sight in others.”

In Australia, about 1700 corneal transplants occur annually. In Victoria in 2009, there were 168 donors resulting in 305 transplants. Typically, donors are aged in their 70s, and provide corneas for transplantation and sclera – or white of the eye – for reconstruction procedures. Over half transplant recipients are under 50.

Mr Andrews said the CERA’s Eye Donations Service in Victoria collected, evaluated and distributed eyes donated for corneal transplantation.

“The service was launched in July 1991 and provided its first cornea for transplant in June that same year,” he said.

“Each year the service supplies around 320 corneas, 100 sclera and 30 amniotic membranes for transplantation in Victoria and Tasmania, across Australia and even in New Zealand.”

Supported by the Lions Clubs International, CERA’s Eye Donation Service is located at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the biggest single transplant Hospital in Australasia.

Mr Andrews said corneal transplants were one of the most successful and commonly performed transplants.

“It is also one of the older types of transplants, with the first corneal transplant performed in 1905. The first corneal transplant at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital was performed in the early 1940s,” he said.

“The cornea, the clear surface at eye’s front, is vital to focusing. If cloudy from infection, illness or disease, vision is impaired and a transplant is needed to restore sight.”

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria and DonateLife Victoria have assisted the service to respond to the increased demand for eye donations.

Mr Andrews said the Brumby Labor Government had significantly increased funding to The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital by 81.9 per cent since 1999.

Media Release Attachment - 121010 - 10,000th corneal transplant.doc [Word, 53248 Bytes]





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