Definition

Noun: A facility that collects, medically evaluates, stores, and distributes corneas donated from human bodies after death. These preserved corneas are used for surgical transplantation to restore vision in patients with damaged or diseased corneas.

Usage

The term "eye bank" refers specifically to the organization or physical location dedicated to this process. * The surgeon requested a suitable cornea from the regional eye bank for the transplant surgery. * Advances in preservation techniques have increased the effectiveness of eye banks. * She registered as a donor, hoping her corneas could one day help someone through an eye bank.

Advanced Usage

• "to be on file with an eye bank": To be registered as a potential cornea donor with a specific organization.
  • Many people choose to be on file with an eye bank as part of their advance healthcare directives.

Variants and Related Words

• Tissue Bank (n): A broader term for a facility that recovers, stores, and distributes various human tissues, such as bone, skin, heart valves, and corneas. An eye bank is a specialized type of tissue bank.
• Corneal Graft (n): The surgical procedure of transplanting a cornea; also called a keratoplasty. This is the procedure for which an eye bank supplies tissue.

Synonyms

• Cornea bank: A less common but more specific synonym.
• Tissue repository: A general term that could include an eye bank.

Related Phrases

• "to harvest corneas for the eye bank": The medical process of recovering corneal tissue from a deceased donor.
  • With the family's consent, the medical team was able to harvest corneas for the eye bank.
• "to receive a graft from an eye bank": To be the recipient of a corneal transplant supplied by an eye bank.
  • The patient was fortunate to receive a graft from an eye bank within a week.

Noun

1. a place for storing and preserving corneas that are obtained from human corpses immediately after death; used for corneal transplantation to patients with corneal defects