Report: Canadian Eye and Tissue Data Committee 2020

National Canadian Eye and Tissue System Performance Data - 2020

Beginning in 2012, Canadian Blood Services, on behalf of the Eye and Tissue Data Committee (ETDC), received data submissions from all Canadian eye and tissue programs. Data definitions were established and data training delivered to the Canadian eye and tissue community.

Canadian Blood Services maintains and collates data for review by the ETDC. Each year a summary report is generated. The purpose of this report is to provide information and insights into the Canadian recovery, processing and distribution of ocular and tissue allografts across Canada.

Prospective data collection was initiated in 2012. In 2020, data was submitted from 16 eye and tissue banks and one recovery program representing a census of all Canadian eye and tissue banking activity (results were not available for select metrics for certain programs, as indicated). Data on allografts imported by Canadian tissue banks from the United States was available for the first time in 2016; however, data on allografts imported directly by Canadian hospitals from the United States is not readily available.

National Results on Key Metrics on Eye and Tissue - 2020

  • In 2020, Canadian eye and tissue banks received 56,335 deceased donor referrals for potential tissue donation, which represents a 3% decrease relative to 2019; 55% of those approached consented to tissue donation, based on data from 6,709 approaches.
  • Hospitals were the referring agency for 86% of referrals for actual deceased donors in 2020, the same percentage as in 2019. The second largest source, accounting for 5% of referrals in 2020, was extended care facilities such as nursing homes and hospices.
  • In 2020, tissue was recovered from 3,576 deceased donors, representing a 25% decrease from the previous year.  Tissue was recovered from 115 living donors, an equal amount as in 2019.
  • Results relating to ocular tissues in 2020 saw greatly reduced numbers compared to 2019, with a 25% decrease in the number of overall donors (n=3,457). This corelated to a 16% decrease in ocular tissue produced and released for transplant within 2020, seeing 4,028 corneas released for transplant.

Report 

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