About Us

The Cincinnati Eye Bank is a not-for-profit recovery organization which was established in 1956 to provide donor eyes for corneal transplantation, ophthalmic research, and for the teaching of ocular surgery to resident eye physicians in the greater Cincinnati area.

We provide donor eyes for corneal transplantation, ophthalmic research, and for the teaching of ocular surgery to resident eye physicians in the greater Cincinnati area.

The Eye Bank also established programs for public and professional education about the need for eye donation. The Eye Bank’s service area includes over 30 hospitals in 10 counties in southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and eastern Indiana.

Since its foundation, the Cincinnati Eye Bank has grown to keep pace with the ever increasing demand for quality corneal tissue for transplantation. In its first year of operation, the Eye Bank provided approximately 30 corneas for transplantation.

In 2019, the Cincinnati Eye Bank provided over 2,390 corneas for transplantation, and additional eyes and corneas found to be unsuitable for transplantation were placed for research and teaching.

The Eye Bank maintains the stringent medical standards as outlined by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA),
and works with leading sight restoration surgeons throughout the area. The Eye Bank is also regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and is inspected to assure compliance with all current regulatory requirements. (Accreditation and Registration documents are available for download below.)

Our Mission

The mission of the Cincinnati Eye Bank is to provide donated human eye tissue for corneal transplantation, research and teaching.

Our Staff

The Cincinnati Eye Bank has a staff of experienced and dedicated employees who are committed to our mission of providing donated human eye tissue for corneal transplant, medical research and teaching. Each member of the Recovery Staff goes through an in-depth training program to learn how to recover and evaluate donor eye tissue. The Cincinnati Eye Bank also has multiple Certified Eye Bank Technicians (CEBT) on staff, a certification granted by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) only after passing a rigorous examination.

Accreditation

The Cincinnati Eye Bank is accredited by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), the nationally recognized accrediting body for eye banks. A team of professionals with extensive experience in eye banking and/or corneal transplantation conducts site inspections of eye banks at least every three years to evaluate adherence to EBAA Medical Standards and procedures. EBAA Accreditation meets or exceeds most state and national regulations and encourages public confidence in eye banking. The Eye Bank continues to maintain the highest level of EBAA accreditation.

Registration

The Cincinnati Eye Bank is registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the regulatory agency for Eye and Tissue Banking, and is inspected to assure compliance with current regulatory requirements.