Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) facilitates and coordinates organ and tissue donation and transplantation services across Ontario — but cannot do so without extensive collaboration with system partners. The Eye Bank of Canada (Ontario Division) at Kensington Health is the largest eye bank in Canada and is a critical partner in ensuring patients in Ontario receive the eye surgeries they need.
After TGLN retrieves donated eye tissue, the Eye Bank processes and distributes more than 4,000 donated eye tissues every year for sight-saving transplants, research, and education. They also recently celebrated their one-year anniversary of using a first-in-Canada technology that eliminates the risk of tissue being damaged in the operating room and cuts the time required to perform corneal transplant surgery in half.
EYE BANK OF CANADA: Key Functions
- Evaluates the tissue to make sure it meets the criteria for surgery.
- Determines how the tissue can be used.
- Processes eye tissue for surgery.
- Allocates eye tissue for surgeries scheduled across Ontario.
- Advances new technologies and surgical techniques for improved patient outcomes.
Unfortunately, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eye Bank has experienced donor shortages and has needed to request eye tissue from the United States to ensure that procedures in Ontario can proceed. The exact reasons for the decline are unclear. However, the pandemic occupied most news and media cycles for a long time, and fewer people may be thinking about organ and tissue donation or speaking to their families about their wishes.
“In the absence of knowing what loved ones want to do, a lot of families err on the side of caution and say ‘no’ to donation. But we know the donation rate would normally be much higher,” says Christine Humphreys, Director, Eye Bank of Canada (Ontario Division). “There are a lot of misconceptions. People who wear glasses or contacts, who have had eye surgery or even cancer can still be eligible to donate. If anyone wants to donate, they should register and tell their families. A team of experts will determine eligibility — just make your wishes known,” encourages Humphreys.
There is a very high need for eye tissue donors in the province, as Ontario performs the highest number of corneal transplants in Canada. Tissue donation and transplantation can be lifesaving and are instrumental in transforming a person’s life.