While you cannot donate just one eye in the sense of removing a functioning eye from a living person for donation, you can pledge your eyes for donation after death, and the corneas (the clear front part of the eye) from both eyes can be used to help multiple people.
Here's a breakdown of eye donation:
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Eye Donation after Death: Eye donation is only possible after death. When someone pledges to be an eye donor, their corneas can be recovered shortly after they pass away.
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Corneal Transplants: The most common type of eye donation involves the cornea. The cornea is the clear front part of the eye that helps focus light. Damage or disease to the cornea can cause blindness. A corneal transplant replaces the damaged cornea with a healthy cornea from a donor.
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One Donor, Multiple Recipients: Each donor can provide corneas for two recipients, one cornea per eye. Also, newer techniques allow for even more individuals to benefit. For example, Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) and Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) are procedures that transplant only a thin layer of the cornea, allowing one cornea to potentially benefit more than two recipients through lamellar corneal transplantation. Therefore, materials from one donor could benefit multiple individuals.
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Who Can Donate? Generally, anyone over the age of 1 year can be an eye donor. Age is not usually a factor, and most common diseases do not disqualify someone from donating.
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How to Pledge: You can register as an eye donor through your local eye bank or online donor registries. When you register, it's crucial to inform your family about your decision, as their consent will be required at the time of your death. You can also indicate your desire to be an eye donor on your driver's license or state ID card.
In summary, while you can't donate a single eye while living, you can pledge your eyes for donation after death, and each donor can help restore sight to multiple individuals through corneal transplants and advanced surgical techniques.
