First cornea transplantation done successfully in State
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 22 2014 : For the first in time in Manipur, Shija Eye Care foundation set yet another medical milestone by successfully performing cornea transplantation on a blind person due to corneal opacity on January 21 .

The patient identified as Khangembam Ningthemjao (68) of Keinou came with a case of corneal opacity blindness at Shija Hospital and was examined by Dr.Sachindra who decided to do the corneal transplant in the right eye.

The operation was performed by a team led by Dr.Sachindra Laishram, who is the Consultant Eye Surgeon of Shija Eye Care Foundation, Langol and the cornea was offered by Shri Shankaradeva Netralaya(SSN) Beltola, Guwahati, which was transported by air.

Cornea is normally is harvested within four hours of death of the donor.

The two eyes donated by a donor can give sight to two corneal blind persons.

Some organs in human body, such as cornea, kidney, lungs, liver, heart, bone marrow, skin, etc, can also be donated and transplanted for giving new lives to other needy persons.

In India, more than ten thousand corneas are required for transplantation.

Maximum corneal transplantation are done in South India.

Screening for HIV, Hepatitis C & B are done before the donation.

Unlike the kidney transplantation, the rate of rejection is less in case of cornea.

At Shija, the cost of cornea transplantation is said to be approximately Rs 30,000 which is half the price charged in private hospitals in Metros.

Cornea is the rounded transparent portion of the eye through which the image passes to reach the retina for sight.

When the cornea is opaque, the light of the image cannot reach the retina and the object is not visible.

Corneal opacity may be caused by infection, trauma, malnutrition, etc.

20% of the blindness is caused by corneal opacity.

Right now, there is no functional eye bank in Manipur.

Shija has initiated preparation for establishing eye bank in the state.

Shija Eye Care Foundation has already sent one technician for training of eye banking and another counselor will also be sent shortly.

Meanwhile, Shija Eye Care Foundation has appealed to the general population to pledge for eye donation and gift sight to someone who need it.

The donated eye will remain alive even after the body is buried or burned after death.

It may be noted here that Manipur Legislative Assembly has passed and adopted Transplantation of Human Organ Act 1994 in its sitting held on 25th March 1999 .

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