Deepika Padukone: I will donate my eyes
Deepika Padukone has said that she will donate her eyes after death.
The actor can currently be seen in Race 2 opposite Jacqueline Fernandez and Anil Kapoor.
She told Bollywood Hungama: “I was at an awards ceremony recently, when someone from the media asked me if I will ever donate my eyes. And my reaction to that was an impromptu ‘yes’. Frankly speaking, I never really had thought about pledging my eyes before that. But, I am so happy now to be a part of such a noble cause.
“The best compliment came to me from Saif (Ali Khan) and lot of other people who said that I have emoted and spoken a lot with my eyes. That really means a lot to me.”
Padukone recently claimed that men rather than women in Bollywood get the credit for breaking box-office records.
Race 2 co-star Khan revealed last month that Padukone was asked to act “sexier” on screen by the film’s directors.
Eye bank
Eye banks recover, prepare and deliver donated eyes for cornea transplants and research. The first successful cornea transplant was performed in 1905 and the first eye bank was founded in 1944. Currently, in the United States, eye banks provide tissue for over 80,000 cornea transplants each year to treat conditions such as keratoconus and corneal scarring. In some cases, the white of the eye (sclera) is used to surgically repair recipient eyes. Unlike other organs and tissues, there is an adequate supply of corneas for transplants in the United States, and excess tissue is exported internationally, where there are shortages in many countries, due to greater demand and a less-developed eye banking infrastructure.
Corneal transplantation
Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft). When the entire cornea is replaced it is known as penetrating keratoplasty and when only part of the cornea is replaced it is known as lamellar keratoplasty. Keratoplasty simply means surgery to the cornea. The graft is taken from a recently deceased individual with no known diseases or other factors that may affect the chance of survival of the donated tissue or the health of the recipient.
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. The surgical procedure is performed by ophthalmologists, physicians who specialize in eyes, and is often done on an outpatient basis. Donors can be of any age, as is shown in the case of Janis Babson, who donated her eyes at age 10. The corneal transplantation is performed when medicines, keratoconus conservative surgery and cross-linking can no longer heal the cornea.
Which Part of the Eye is Donated?
The eye as a whole cannot be transplanted. Now, that we have pushed this one terrifying myth to the side, let us focus on facts. Yes, as we mentioned, the entire cannot be transplanted, however, parts of it can and have been transplanted. Here are the parts of the eye that can be transplanted:
⊚ Cornea: Corneal transplant is the most common transplant. The cornea is a clear membrane which allows the light to pass through, and activate other parts of the eye so that the brain could receive the visual message. However, if the cornea of the donor is scratched or damaged in any way, it would be of no use to the receiver.
⊚ Tear Ducts: In 2010, researchers were able to isolate the tear ducts and were able to transplant it to another organism, although more research needs to be done in this field.
⊚ Eye Lashes: Scientists have also been able to transplant the eyelashes, in cases of people who have lost them due to burns and so on.
⊚ Eyelid: In some recent procedure, scientists have been able to transplant eyelid, however, some kind of eyelid procedures have been a part of plastic surgery for years.
⊚ Amniotic Membrane: In case of a person suffering from conjunctiva or sclera, scientists have also been successful in transplanting amniotic membrane.
Feb 13 2013 – digitalspy.co.uk
