Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Introduction Effective management of ocular tissue retrieval is essential to preserve the quality of donated corneas, reduce post-mortem times, and optimize the use of medical personnel. Operational decisions are often subject to variability related to staff experience and workload. We developed and implemented a deci-sion-making algorithm to support and standardize the assignment of the ocular tissue retrieval physicians of the Veneto Eye Bank Foundation (FBOV) in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions.Materials and Methods Approximately 6,500 potential donors were analyzed over the past two years. The algorithm integrates cri-tical operational variables, including time from notification to retrieval (notification time), time from death to retrieval (post-mortem time), time from assignment to retrieval (assignment time), number of retrievals per physician, hospital distance, mortuary access hours, and daily physician availability (3–4 per shift). The system ensures compliance with essential temporal, spatial, and logistical constraints, including the 24-hour post-mortem limit and mortuary closure times. Preliminary algorithm performance was evalua-ted during the first three months of testing (August–October 2025) and compared with traditional deci-sion-making processes (January–July 2025).Results Preliminary analysis shows a slight but consistent reduction in both notification time (10:34 hrs vs 10:41 hrs) and post-mortem time (13:09 hrs vs 13.18 hrs). The latter finding is particularly relevant, as shorter post-mortem intervals are associated with improved corneal biological quality, as measured by endothe-lial cell density (ECD). No significant changes in the equity of retrieval distribution among physicians were observed during the initial weeks of testing.Expected Impact and Conclusions The adoption of the decision-making algorithm demonstrates potential for improving retrieval timeliness and tissue quality. Upon completion of the testing phase and extension of its use to on-call weekend staff, we expect more pronounced benefits, including further reductions in assignment and post-mortem times, greater uniformity in decision-making between routine and on-call personnel, more equitable distribution of workload among retrieval physicians, and reduced travel time and associated operational costs.
Source: BMJ Open Ophthalmology
Institution: Veneto Eye Bank Foundation
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,085
OpenAlex ID: W7204450167