Lions Instrumental to America’s Eye Bank Network

Lions Eye Bank International
Lions Clubs International’s Support for Corneal Transplantation Contributes to Total Lifetime Net Benefit of Nearly $6 Billion 

Washington, DCâ€" (October 10, 2013) â€" Corneal transplants performed in the United States this year will result in nearly $6 billion in total net benefits over the lifetime of the recipients, according to a six-month study undertaken by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA).

Over half of all EBAA-member eye banks were founded by Lions Clubs; these eye banks will provide nearly 25,000 corneas for transplant this year, with an estimated net lifetime benefit of $3 billion*. The study compared the medical cost of transplant procedures to the direct and indirect lifetime costs of the alternative â€" living with blindness or severe vision impairment. With a corneal transplant, an individual avoids the direct expenditures that come with vision loss, such as higher routine medical costs and long-term care costs, and the indirect costs of potential years of lost productivity to both the patients and their family caregivers. Eye disorders are the fifth costliest to the U.S. economy after heart disease, cancer, emotional disorders and pulmonary conditions.
______________________________________________________ 
"You have the power to SAVE lives." 
To register as a donor TODAY
In California: 
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 
Outside California: 
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

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