L V Prasad Eye Institute Celebrates Milestone of Performing 50K Corneal Transplants

The Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute, a centre of excellence for cornea care at the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), has performed the highest number of corneal transplants ever (over 50K), by any eye care institution in the world. This places LVPEI at the top of large volume cornea care centres in the world. The L V Prasad Eye Institute, at its Dr Kallam Anji Reddy Campus organised an evening to celebrate this milestone.

In India nearly 2% of the adult population is blind and about 13% are visually impaired. Corneal opacities are the second major cause of blindness in India among those who are 50 years and older—and the primary cause in those younger. Infection, trauma or other damage can make the cornea opaque, leaving the person blind. In such cases, the solution may be a corneal transplant, where the opacified cornea is replaced with a donor tissue.

This milestone was made possible by a committed group of surgeons and many allied teams, and the trust reposed in us by scores of supporters all over the world who were generous with their treasure, time and talent. This achievement would not have been possible but for the generosity of cornea donor families who chose to donate the precious tissue.

Venkaiah Naidu speaking on the occasion said, congratulate the LV Prasad Eye Institute on achieving the the milestone of fifty thousand corneal transplants

As part of the celebrations:

· Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Founder Chairman- LVPEI took the gathering through the journey to reaching this milestone

· Dr Prashant Garg, Executive Chairman-LVPEI spoke on the current state of eye banking in India and the way forward.

· Dr Pravin Krishna, Director – Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute presented on the future possibilities in cornea transplantation with evolving technology.

The key partners and stakeholders of LVPEI’s eye bank network that have made this milestone possible were thanked for their continued support over the years.

Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Founder Chairman on the occasion shared, “There were many skeptics discouraging us, when we started on this journey. I am pleased that we have proved all the naysayers wrong. This has been a journey of many twists and turns, with learnings at

every turn! I am proud of my team who worked tirelessly over the years and congratulate them on reaching this milestone.”

Dr Prashant Garg, Executive Chairman – LVPEI on this momentous occasion shared, “This milestone was reached, thanks to Dr G N Rao’s determination and the commitment of many individuals and organisations both in India and overseas who supported us through their time, talent, and treasure. I thank each one of them for their support and guidance. I am proud of this wonderful team.”

Dr Pravin Vaddavalli, Director of the Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute, reiterating the institute’s mission, said, “The focus of the Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute will continue to be to push the frontiers of science and make the most appropriate treatment available to people with corneal diseases.”