--- title: 'Eye Banks' description: '' url: https://bancheocchi.it/en/eye-banks/ published: 2026-06-18 last_updated: 2026-07-17 --- # Eye Banks # Eye Banks Eye Banks in Italy There are 12 Eye Banks in Italy, operating throughout the national territory. They collect and preserve donated ocular tissues, ensure their quality and safety, and coordinate their distribution to transplant centers. They also promote donation and support scientific research. Some Italian Eye Banks also prepare and distribute amniotic membrane. Eye Banks operate within the framework of the National Transplant Centre, in coordination with Interregional and Regional Transplant Centres. Thanks to the exemplary generosity and donation awareness of Italian citizens, and to the outstanding work carried out in collecting, screening, preserving, and distributing ocular tissues, the Eye Bank network consistently meets the national demand for transplant tissues. LOCATIONS Click on the map to find our branches across the different regions! ![](https://bancheocchi.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/map.png) '); jQuery('#pin-div-431').css('left','calc(48% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-431').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-431').css('top','calc(49% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-431').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Lucca '); jQuery('#pin-div-430').css('left','calc(31% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-430').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-430').css('top','calc(30% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-430').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('L’Aquila '); jQuery('#pin-div-429').css('left','calc(56% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-429').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-429').css('top','calc(43% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-429').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Fabriano '); jQuery('#pin-div-428').css('left','calc(52% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-428').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-428').css('top','calc(35% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-428').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Torino '); jQuery('#pin-div-427').css('left','calc(10% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-427').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-427').css('top','calc(17% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-427').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Pavia '); jQuery('#pin-div-426').css('left','calc(20% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-426').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-426').css('top','calc(15% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-426').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Napoli '); jQuery('#pin-div-424').css('left','calc(64% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-424').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-424').css('top','calc(58% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-424').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Monza '); jQuery('#pin-div-423').css('left','calc(22% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-423').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-423').css('top','calc(11% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-423').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Venezia '); jQuery('#pin-div-422').css('left','calc(45% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-422').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-422').css('top','calc(13% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-422').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Genova '); jQuery('#pin-div-421').css('left','calc(20% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-421').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-421').css('top','calc(24% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-421').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Cosenza '); jQuery('#pin-div-416').css('left','calc(79% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-416').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-416').css('top','calc(73% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-416').height())+'px)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('![](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Vector-1.png)'); jQuery('#map-div').append('Bologna '); jQuery('#pin-div-412').css('left','calc(36% - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-412').width()/2)+'px)'); jQuery('#pin-div-412').css('top','calc(23% - 15px - '+parseInt(jQuery('#pin-div-412').height())+'px)'); function startPinAnimate() { console.log('startPinAnimate'); if (isAnimated) return; var cont = 0; jQuery('.pin').each(function() { cont++; setTimeout(() => { console.log(cont); jQuery(this).fadeIn( "slow", function() {}); }, 100*cont); }); isAnimated = true; } All contacts: Bologna Banca delle Cornee dell’Emilia Romagna Ospedale Maggiore Via dell’Ospedale, 8 40133 Bologna (BO) Download information sheet Cosenza Centro Riferimento Regionale per gli innesti corneali “L. Barca” Az. Ospedaliera di Cosenza P.O. SS. Annunziata Via F. Migliori, 1 87100 Cosenza (CS) Download information sheet Fabriano Banca degli Occhi della Regione Marche Ospedale “E.Profili” V.le Stelluti Scala, 26 60044 Fabriano (AN) Download information sheet Genova Fondazione Banca degli Occhi Lions Melvin Jones Ospedale Policlinico San Martino Padiglione 10 - 1° piano Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10 16132 Genova (GE) Download information sheet L’Aquila Banca degli Occhi dell’Aquila Crr per le donazioni e i trapianti di cornea regioni Abruzzo e Molise Ospedale San Salvatore Edificio 2 – Ingresso C 67010 Loc. Coppito - L’Aquila Download information sheet Lucca Banca degli Occhi di Lucca Centro Conservazione Cornee Piero Perelli Az. USL Toscana nord ovest Ospedale San Luca - II° piano - percorso rosso - lato A Via Guglielmo Lippi Francesconi 1763 55100 Lucca (LU) Download information sheet Monza Banca degli Occhi di Monza IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo Dei Tintori Via Pergolesi, 33 20900 Monza (MB) Download information sheet Napoli Banca delle Cornee di Napoli Ospedale dei Pellegrini Via Portamedina alla Pignasecca, 41 80134 Napoli (NA) Download information sheet Pavia Banca degli Occhi di Pavia “Fernando Trimarchi” Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo P.le Golgi, 2 – Padiglione 6 27100 Pavia (PV) Download information sheet Roma Banca degli Occhi di Roma Az. Ospedaliera San Giovanni – Addolorata Via San Giovanni in Laterano, 155 00184 Roma (RM) Download information sheet Torino Banca delle Cornee Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - ASO S. Giovanni Battista Corso Bramante 88/90 10126 Torino (TO) Download information sheet Venezia Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto ETS Padiglione Rama Via Paccagnella, 11 30174 Venezia (VE) Download information sheet The Eye Bank: collecting, screening, and distributing tissues for transplantation The Eye Bank was established with the purpose of collecting, screening, preserving, and distributing — with the highest standards of quality and safety — corneas, other ocular tissues, and amniotic membranes for elective surgery or urgent ophthalmic procedures. The Cornea Procurement and Transplantation Network (as with all transplant tissues) in Italy is regulated by Article 15 of Law 91/1999. In accordance with this legislation, regional Eye Banks have been established throughout the national territory. Eye Banking Activities Eye Banking activities begin with donor selection, which is carried out according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, standardized nationwide to ensure transplant safety. At the Eye Bank, ocular tissues are evaluated in controlled-contamination environments (laminar flow cabinets in filtered-air rooms) to assess their morphological and functional characteristics, and are then preserved in specific storage solutions at controlled temperatures. Corneal tissues may be stored either cold (4°C) or warm (31°C). During warm storage and prior to the distribution of all tissues, microbiological culture tests are performed to rule out any potential contamination. Amniotic membrane is prepared from placentas obtained during caesarean sections and stored at the Eye Bank at -80°C or in liquid nitrogen. Upon specific request, the tissue is typically thawed and shipped to the requesting centre. The Eye Bank in Support of Corneal Surgery In many cases, the tissue is not only certified and preserved, but also prepared according to the specific requirements of the surgeons who will use it. This occurs when lamellar corneal transplant surgery is to be performed. In cases of ***anterior lamellar keratoplasty***, the Eye Bank can prepare anterior corneal stromal lamellae of varying thickness and diameter as requested, using a microkeratome. For ***endothelial keratoplasties***, surgeons may request tissue suitable for penetrating keratoplasty and then prepare the required tissue themselves in the operating room at the time of surgery, or they may request from the Eye Bank a tissue with specific characteristics tailored to the planned procedure. In the latter case, Eye Bank staff can pre-cut a lenticule for ***DSAEK*** (consisting of deep stroma, Descemet's membrane, and endothelium) using a microkeratome, or prepare tissue for ***DMEK*** (consisting solely of Descemet's membrane and endothelium). Any manipulation performed by the surgeon on tissue supplied by the Eye Bank must take place intraoperatively. Eye Banking activities are in fact only permitted within the Eye Bank itself. A Certified System to Ensure Tissue Quality and Safety All tissue banks in Italy are established by the Regional Authorities and certified by the National Transplant Centre for the conduct of their activities. Within the Eye Bank, all stages of Eye Banking — from acceptance, evaluation, preparation, and certification through to tissue distribution — are carried out in compliance with continuously updated internal procedures. The National Transplant Centre has developed a quality monitoring and control system for tissue bank activities, which includes regular inspections conducted every two years. Only banks that meet the requirements set out in EU Directive 23/2004 and Legislative Decree 191/2007 are certified as eligible to operate on the national territory. The fundamental purpose of the directive is to ensure the quality and safety of tissues, thereby minimising the risk of disease transmission through transplantation. 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