History of the International Cornea Project

The International Cornea Project^® (ICP^®), managed by the San Diego Eye Bank^®, was started in 1984 as a way to send viable transplantable corneas to ophthalmologists around the world who serve patients who are corneal blind. ICP was founded and first managed by the Lions Eye Bank of the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno, California. In many countries, there is a shortage of donors while the number of patients waiting to receive corneas for transplant steadily grows. The International Cornea Project is supported by many North American Eye Banks, which annually send over 2,500 transplantable corneas for ICP to distribute to ophthalmologists around the world. Since its inception, over 30,000 people around the world have benefited from this project by being able to undergo corneal transplant surgery to restore their vision.

History