Cornea transplants take place three times more than the monthly average at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICHEye exam (370)(photo credit: Courtesy Rabin Medical Center)
Thirty people received corneas at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in July to restore or improve their sight – a record three times the monthly average.The corneas came from deceased Israelis who had ADI organ donor cards or whose close relatives had given their permission, or from abroad.Prof. Irit Bechar, head of the cornea service at the Petah Tikva hospital, said that the number of donations and operations was unprecedented.“There is nothing better than to see patients who identify their loved ones again and return to a daily routine with independence,” said Bechar.The hospital, which performs more organ transplants than any other in the country, usually has about 10 cornea transplants a month.Ophthalmology department head Prof. Dov Weinberger said that his unit cooperates with cornea banks in the US and Canada, allowing Beilinson to import corneas that are not needed elsewhere because of tissue type.In July, 10 corneas were brought to Petah Tikva from abroad in addition to 20 that were donated in Israel, he added.“This cooperation makes it possible to restore the sight of many patients,” he said.All 30 patients are in very good condition and have reported that their vision is significantly better just days after their surgery, the hospital said.
