Objective:
Education and training for health care professionals — including surgeons, eye bank managers, technicians and counsellors — are critical to the success of corneal transplantation program. Education and skills transfer must be comprehensive and updated regularly.
Details:
Comprehensive corneal transplantation requires specialized skills, which most eye surgeons don’t have on graduating from university. ESI supports educational programs to help surgeons acquire the necessary skills and knowledge during a three-year Fellowship training program.
ESI and its partners’ programs provide training in surgery and patient selection and post-surgery management. This includes treatment of transplant rejections, and diagnosis and treatment of corneal disease to prevent or minimize corneal scarring and to maximize vision.
An important benefit is that surgeons acquire skills that benefit other areas of their practices, such as improved skills in cataract surgery. These skills will help surgeons for the rest of their lives. Other health care professionals involved in eye banking and corneal transplantation see similar benefits.