georgiaeyebank.org

Almost anyone can be considered as an eye and cornea donor — age and most medical conditions do not automatically disqualify a person. Georgia Eye Bank, Inc. recovers, processes, and provides donor eye tissue for eye surgeries and research studies, and it reports that over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient's vision. Registration is usually handled through your state's donor registry (often at the DMV or online), and your family's willingness to honor your decision matters in practice. For questions about the process, Georgia Eye Bank can be reached at 1-800-342-9812.

Who can donate eye tissue?

Eye donation is far less restrictive than many people assume. The general points below reflect how eye banking typically works; Georgia Eye Bank's site emphasizes that donation supports transplantation, research, education, and collaboration to advance treatments and patient outcomes.

• Age is not a fixed barrier. There is no strict upper age limit for cornea donation. Tissue suitability is evaluated case by case.
• Most medical conditions do not rule you out. Common conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a history of eye disease do not automatically prevent donation. Eligibility is determined through screening and testing at the time of donation.
• Some situations may affect suitability. Certain active infections, some cancers, and specific blood-borne diseases can affect whether tissue can be used. These determinations are made by the eye bank's screening process, not by the donor in advance.
• Whole-eye vs. cornea donation. In practice, only the cornea and sometimes other ocular tissue are used for transplant; the whole eye is not transplanted. This is why so many more people can be donors than is commonly believed.

Because eligibility is confirmed at the time of donation, the most useful step you can take is to register and make your wishes known — not to self-screen out.

How do you register as a donor?

Registration is typically a two-part action: an official record plus a conversation with your family.

1. Join your state's donor registry. In most U.S. states this can be done when you get or renew your driver's license or state ID, or by signing up online through the state registry. This creates the legal record of your decision.
2. Tell your family. Even where a registry record exists, donation organizations often confirm with the next of kin. Letting your family know your wishes in advance makes it far more likely they will be honored.
3. Note it in your documents where appropriate. Some people also record their decision in advance directives or living wills, though the registry is the primary mechanism.
4. Ask questions directly. If you want to understand how recovery works, what tissue is used for, or how donor families and recipients are supported, contact Georgia Eye Bank at 1-800-342-9812.

What happens after donation is authorized

• The eye bank evaluates the donor's medical and social history and performs testing to assess tissue suitability.
• Recovered tissue is processed and, if suitable, provided for corneal transplant surgery or for eye research studies.
• Georgia Eye Bank states it has provided over 65,000 sight-restoring corneas since 1961 and currently provides over 2,000 corneas for transplant each year.

What role does your family play?

Family involvement is one of the most important practical factors in eye donation. Even with a registry record, donation coordinators commonly speak with the family, both to confirm consent and to gather the medical information needed for screening. Families also often receive information about the donation and, in some programs, the opportunity for correspondence between donor families and recipients. Georgia Eye Bank's site includes dedicated sections for donor families, transplant recipients, and donor family–recipient correspondence, which reflects how central family communication is to the process.

If your goal is simply to make sure your own wishes are followed, the reliable path is: register officially, then tell the people closest to you.

Common questions and where to get answers

Georgia Eye Bank describes its mission as improving vision and lives through transplantation of ocular tissue and cells, innovation, research, education, and collaboration. If you want to go beyond registration — for example, to understand how tissue is requested by medical professionals or how accreditation and quality standards work — the organization's site covers those areas for both the public and medical professionals.

Georgia Eye Bank, Inc. (GEB) is a nonprofit eye bank based in Georgia that recovers, processes, and provides donor eye tissue for transplantation and eye research. It serves transplant recipients, donor families, and medical professionals, and reports having provided more than 65,000 sight-restoring corneas since 1961, with over 2,000 corneas supplied for transplant each year.

What Georgia Eye Bank Does

Its stated mission is "improving vision and lives through transplantation of ocular tissue and cells, innovation, research, education, and collaboration to advance treatments and patient outcomes." In practice, that work breaks down into a few core functions:

• Recovering donor eye tissue — coordinating with donors and donor families to obtain corneal tissue.
• Processing tissue — evaluating and preparing tissue so it is suitable for surgery or study.
• Providing tissue for transplant — supplying corneas for corneal transplant operations.
• Supporting research — supplying ocular tissue and cells for studies of corneal disease and ophthalmic care.

The organization also engages in education and collaboration with healthcare providers and researchers.

Who It Serves

Scale and Track Record

GEB reports two headline figures:

• 65,000+ corneas provided since 1961
• 2,000+ corneas provided for transplant each year

It also states that over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the recipient's vision — a general figure about corneal transplantation rather than a GEB-specific outcome guarantee.

History and Oversight

Georgia Eye Bank has operated since 1961. It began at Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta, with the Lions Clubs of Georgia and the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation playing key roles in its founding and early growth. In 1974, it became an affiliate (the source excerpt cuts off at this point). The organization also references its relationship with the EBAA (Eye Bank Association of America), the professional body that accredits eye banks in the United States.

How to Get Involved or Get Help

The site organizes its main pathways as Give, Our People, About Eye Donation, For Medical Professionals, Request Tissue, Contact Us, Career Opportunities, and News. If you want to register as a donor, learn about donation as a donor family, request tissue as a clinician, or ask about receiving a transplant, those sections are the starting points. GEB lists a phone number, 1-800-342-9812, for contact.

Key Takeaways

• Georgia Eye Bank is an eye bank, not a hospital or clinic — it supplies tissue rather than performing surgery.
• Its two main outputs are corneas for transplant and ocular tissue for research.
• It has operated since 1961 and reports 65,000+ corneas provided and 2,000+ per year.
• Donor families, recipients, medical professionals, and researchers each have dedicated information and contact paths.

Georgia Eye Bank, Inc. (GEB) recovers, processes, and provides donor eye tissue for transplant surgeries and eye research. If you want to understand what the organization does, how donated tissue reaches a patient, or what donor families and recipients should know, this guide covers the process at a general level. It draws on GEB's own published information about its mission, history, and services.

What Georgia Eye Bank does

GEB describes its mission as "improving vision and lives through transplantation of ocular tissue and cells, innovation, research, education, and collaboration to advance treatments and patient outcomes." In practice, that means three connected activities:

• Recovery — obtaining donor eye tissue after a donor's death, with authorization.
• Processing and evaluation — assessing and preparing tissue so it is suitable for surgery or research.
• Distribution — providing tissue to surgeons for corneal transplants and to researchers studying corneal disease and ophthalmic care.

The organization reports that it has provided over 65,000 sight-restoring corneas since 1961, and currently provides over 2,000 corneas for transplant each year.

The donation and transplant path, step by step

The exact sequence varies by hospital, donor registry status, and timing, but the general flow looks like this:

1. Authorization. Donation proceeds only after proper authorization — through a donor registry, or with the consent of the family or another authorized person. This is the gate for everything that follows.
2. Recovery. Eye tissue is recovered, typically within a limited time window after death. Timing matters because corneal tissue has a usable window for transplant.
3. Evaluation and processing. The tissue is assessed for suitability. Not every donation can be used for transplant; some tissue may instead support research.
4. Distribution. Suitable corneal tissue is provided to a surgeon for a transplant procedure, or directed to a research study.
5. Transplant. A corneal transplant replaces part or all of a damaged or diseased cornea with donor tissue.

What to expect: GEB states that over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient's vision. That figure describes corneal transplant outcomes generally, not a guarantee for any individual case — a surgeon can explain what is realistic for a specific patient.

What donor families and recipients can find

GEB's site organizes information for two main audiences:

Donor families can learn what donation involves and how to correspond with a recipient, if both sides agree. Recipients can find the same correspondence pathway from their side. Medical professionals can review accreditation, safety, and quality information and request tissue.

If you are a family member deciding in the moment, the most useful first step is to speak with the hospital's donation coordinator or call GEB directly at 1-800-342-9812, the number listed on its site.

Why donation also matters for research

Not all donated tissue goes to transplant. GEB states that it provides donor eye tissue for eye research studies, and lists innovation and research among its core values — specifically work focused on corneal disease and improving outcomes for people with ocular conditions. Research use can include studying corneal disease mechanisms and testing approaches to ophthalmic care. This is one reason a donation that cannot be used for transplant may still have value.

Background and oversight

GEB has operated since 1961 and began at Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta. The Lions Clubs of Georgia and the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation helped establish and guide the eye bank in its early years; in 1974 it became an affiliate, according to its history page. The site also references Georgia Eye Bank and the EBAA (Eye Bank Association of America), the professional body associated with eye banking standards.

Common questions

Does a corneal transplant always restore vision? No. GEB reports that over 90% of corneal transplant operations successfully restore the recipient's vision — a strong general outcome, but individual results depend on the patient's condition.

Can I choose whether tissue goes to transplant or research? Authorization requirements and options are set by the applicable donation process and organization. Ask GEB or the hospital coordinator about what choices are available in your situation.

How do I contact Georgia Eye Bank? The phone number published on its site is 1-800-342-9812. The site also offers adjustable text size for accessibility.

Where can I read more? GEB's site includes sections on eye donation, donor families, transplant recipients, correspondence, FAQs, medical professional resources, accreditation and safety, tissue requests, careers, and news.

A cornea transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces part or all of a damaged cornea—the clear front surface of the eye—with healthy donor corneal tissue. According to Georgia Eye Bank, Inc., over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient's vision. The procedure is used when corneal disease, injury, or scarring blocks light from reaching the retina or distorts vision in a way that glasses, contacts, or medication cannot correct.

What the Cornea Does and Why It May Need Replacing

The cornea is the transparent outer layer at the front of the eye. It bends (refracts) incoming light so it focuses properly on the retina. When the cornea becomes cloudy, scarred, swollen, or misshapen, vision drops—sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly.

Conditions that can lead to a transplant include:

• Corneal scarring from infection or injury
• Keratoconus, where the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape
• Corneal swelling (edema) from endothelial cell failure
• Inherited corneal dystrophies
• Complications from previous eye surgery

In each case, the goal is the same: restore a clear, regularly shaped surface so light can pass through and focus correctly.

Where the Donor Tissue Comes From

Corneal transplants depend on donated eye tissue. Georgia Eye Bank, Inc. recovers, processes, and provides donor eye tissue for eye surgeries and eye research studies. The organization reports that it has provided over 65,000 sight-restoring corneas since 1961 and currently supplies more than 2,000 corneas for transplant each year.

Donated tissue is screened, evaluated, and prepared before it reaches a surgeon. That processing step is what makes the tissue suitable for transplantation and is a core function of an eye bank.

How Successful Is a Cornea Transplant?

The headline figure from Georgia Eye Bank is that over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient's vision. This is one of the highest success rates of any tissue or organ transplant procedure, largely because the cornea lacks blood vessels, which reduces the risk of immune rejection.

Several factors influence whether an individual transplant succeeds:

Success means the graft stays clear and the recipient's vision improves. Even a technically successful graft may not restore perfect vision if other parts of the eye are damaged.

What Recipients and Donor Families Should Know

Georgia Eye Bank provides a correspondence service for donor families and transplant recipients. This allows a recipient to express gratitude and a donor family to learn about the impact of their gift, while protecting the privacy of both parties. If you are a recipient or a donor family member, this is the channel to use if you want to communicate.

For medical professionals, the eye bank also offers tissue request services and maintains accreditation and registration information related to safety and quality.

Key Takeaways

• A cornea transplant replaces damaged corneal tissue with healthy donor tissue to restore vision.
• Georgia Eye Bank has supplied over 65,000 corneas since 1961 and provides more than 2,000 per year.
• More than 90% of corneal transplant operations successfully restore vision.
• Donor tissue is recovered, processed, and provided by eye banks like Georgia Eye Bank.
• Donor families and recipients can correspond through the eye bank's dedicated service.

Medical professionals can request ocular tissue from Georgia Eye Bank by calling 1-800-342-9812 or using the Request Tissue and Contact Us sections of georgiaeyebank.org. The site's navigation includes dedicated paths for "For Medical Professionals," "Accreditation & Registration," "Safety & Quality," and "Request Tissue," which together serve as the entry points for clinical tissue requests and related inquiries.

Where to Start on the Website

Georgia Eye Bank's site is organized around its audiences, and the relevant sections for a clinical request are grouped under the medical professional pathway:

• Request Tissue — the primary entry point for ordering donor eye tissue.
• For Medical Professionals — information and resources aimed at surgeons, eye banks, and clinical partners.
• Accreditation & Registration — details on the eye bank's credentials and registrations.
• Safety & Quality — information on the standards applied to recovered and processed tissue.
• Contact Us — general contact route, alongside the published phone number.

If you are unsure which path applies to your situation, the phone line is the most direct option: 1-800-342-9812.

What Georgia Eye Bank Provides

Georgia Eye Bank recovers, processes, and provides donor eye tissue for eye surgeries and eye research studies. Its stated mission is "improving vision and lives through transplantation of ocular tissue and cells, innovation, research, education, and collaboration to advance treatments and patient outcomes."

Two figures from the organization give a sense of scale:

The site also states that over 90% of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient's vision.

Who the Tissue Serves

The site separates its audience into distinct groups, which is useful when deciding which request path fits:

• Donor families — support and information related to a donation.
• Transplant recipients — information for patients who have received or will receive tissue.
• Donor family & recipient correspondence — the channel for communication between these two groups.
• Medical professionals — the clinical and research request pathway.
• Researchers — tissue for eye research studies, as distinct from surgical use.

If your request is for a surgical case, the transplant pathway applies. If it is for a study, the research pathway applies. The site treats these as separate purposes for the same recovered tissue.

Accreditation and Quality Context

For professionals who need to verify credentials before requesting tissue, the site includes an Accreditation & Registration section and a Safety & Quality section. The organization also references its relationship with the EBAA (Eye Bank Association of America) in its history content. These sections are the place to check before completing institutional paperwork or vendor qualification.

Practical Notes

• The published contact number is 1-800-342-9812.
• The site offers an adjustable text size control (A A A) for accessibility.
• Georgia Eye Bank was founded in 1961 and was originally located at Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta; the Lions Clubs of Georgia and the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation were instrumental in its establishment and early growth. It became an affiliate in 1974. This history is relevant mainly if you need organizational background for a partnership or credentialing file.

For a specific request, start with the Request Tissue page or call the number above; the site does not publish a separate online order form in the material available here, so the phone line and contact page are the confirmed routes.