Iran is among the top five countries with the largest number of eye stem cell transplants Iran ranks among the top five countries in the world in the number of eye stem cell transplants, a treatment for severe eye burns that is funded entirely by the government and is reported to be successful in more than 85% of cases. Patients can undergo the procedure in Iran without traveling abroad, said Hamed Ghasemi, head of the Iranian Scientific Association of Ophthalmologists. This surgery is intended to repair damage that may cause the surface of the eye not to heal on its own. Chemical or thermal burns can destroy the stem cells responsible for renewing the transparent outer layer of the eye. When these cells disappear or stop functioning, vision deteriorates and patients may need a corneal transplant. Stem cell restoration first helps prepare the damaged surface for the next step. Doctors at Farabi Eye Hospital at Tehran University of Medical Sciences perform this procedure regularly, Ghasemi said. They can take donor cells from the patient's healthy eye, from a relative or from an eye bank. If there aren't enough cells to use, experts can grow them in the lab using amniotic membrane, tissue from the placenta. This is a complex and delicate operation, but Iranian experts have acquired the necessary experience to carry it out in the country. Ghasemi noted that receiving donor cells does not cause complications. Government funding covers the cost of treatment, although the report does not provide details on patient selection criteria, waiting times or the number of surgeries performed. This is especially important for people who need special medical care and are difficult to access.

Iran is among the top five countries with the largest number of eye stem cell transplants Iran ranks among the top five countries in the world in the number of eye stem cell transplants, a treatment for severe eye burns that is funded entirely by the government and is reported to be successful in more than 85% of cases. Patients can undergo the procedure in Iran without traveling abroad, said Hamed Ghasemi, head of the Iranian Scientific Association of Ophthalmologists. This surgery is intended to repair damage that may cause the surface of the eye not to heal on its own. Chemical or thermal burns can destroy the stem cells responsible for renewing the transparent outer layer of the eye. When these cells disappear or stop functioning, vision deteriorates and patients may need a corneal transplant. Stem cell restoration first helps prepare the damaged surface for the next step. Doctors at Farabi Eye Hospital at Tehran University of Medical Sciences perform this procedure regularly, Ghasemi said. They can take donor cells from the patient's healthy eye, from a relative or from an eye bank. If there aren't enough cells to use, experts can grow them in the lab using amniotic membrane, tissue from the placenta. This is a complex and delicate operation, but Iranian experts have acquired the necessary experience to carry it out in the country. Ghasemi noted that receiving donor cells does not cause complications. Government funding covers the cost of treatment, although the report does not provide details on patient selection criteria, waiting times or the number of surgeries performed. This is especially important for people who need special medical care and are difficult to access.