Disease of the cornea (the transparent layer covering the front of the eye) is the second cause of blindness worldwide. The cornea is the most transplanted tissue with over 100,000 corneas transplanted annually. In Europe an estimated 30,000 corneal transplants are performed each year.
Currently there is no harmonisation of information across the European Union on the numbers or origins of the scarce corneas tissue available for transplant, the optimum procedure for transplant and the visual outcome and quality of life of corneal transplant patients.
The ESCRS in 2006 with the support of the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers pioneered an online Quality Registry of the outcomes of cataract and refractive surgeries (EUREQUO). ESCRS continues to support this Registry and has currently a database of over 2,000,000 surgeries.
ESCRS proposes to extend this platform to create a registry of corneal transplantation surgeries in Europe. The European Cornea and Cell Transplantation Network (ECCTR) will link three existing registries and recruit additional centres of excellence and eye banks to contribute data on availability of corneal tissue, methods of transplantation, and visual outcomes of surgery.
The focus of our consortium is on bringing added value and making a positive impact on one of the priority actions set out in the annual Work Programme for 2015; contributing to the fourth overall objective:” To build a common assessment methodology to allow academics, health professionals and authorities to assess and verify safety, quality and efficacy of (new) transplantation therapies and/or other types of clinical applications of human tissues and cells (e.g. assisted reproductive technologies).”
After the completion of this action the ECCTR will have all the data necessary to develop European Guidelines for Corneal Transplant Surgery to better utilise scarce cornea tissue ensure European self-sufficiency and reduce patient waiting lists.
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