Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi Performs First Corneal Transplant Under Partnership with Abu Dhabi Biobank, as Eye Bank Moves Toward Operation

First corneal transplant under the partnership performed on October 20, 2026, using donor tissue supplied through Abu Dhabi Biobank
On the same day, the partners signed the Strategic Collaboration Framework Agreement at Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, under the patronage of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi
Eye Bank expected to begin processing donor corneal tissue in the first quarter of 2027, expanding access to sight-restoring transplants in the UAE and the wider region
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi, the first international campus of America's No. 1 eye hospital, to provide clinical protocols, operational standards, and workforce training

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi has performed its first corneal transplant, using donor tissue supplied through Abu Dhabi Biobank, a partnership between the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DOH) and M42. The milestone comes as the partners prepare the Abu Dhabi Biobank Eye Bank to begin processing imported donor corneal tissue in the first quarter of 2027.

On October 20, 2026, the day of the transplant, the two organizations signed the Strategic Collaboration Framework Agreement at Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, under the patronage of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi. Building on the partnership announced in July, the agreement moves the Eye Bank from plan to operation.

The first case

The transplant, an endothelial keratoplasty - a procedure that replaces the damaged inner layer of the cornea rather than the full cornea - was performed by George Corrent, MD, Head of the Cornea Service, using donor tissue supplied through Abu Dhabi Biobank. The patient, a man in his seventies, had bullous keratopathy - painful swelling and blistering of the cornea - following cataract surgery performed outside the UAE. He was admitted and discharged the same day, and his recovery will be assessed over the coming months.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi will provide the clinical protocols, operational standards, workforce training, research, and education that underpin the Eye Bank. It is the first international campus of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, part of the University of Miami Health System, which U.S. News & World Report has ranked America's No. 1 eye hospital 25 times.

Corneal transplantation can restore sight, but donor tissue is scarce. A global survey published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2016 found only one donor cornea available for every 70 needed. An eye bank in Abu Dhabi means tissue can be processed, quality-assured, and released close to the patient and the surgeon.

In its first phase, the Eye Bank will process imported donor tissue.

Dr. Zain Kenderian, Chief Executive Officer of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi, said: "For a patient with corneal blindness, the surgery is rarely the obstacle. The tissue is. An eye bank in Abu Dhabi means donor tissue can be processed, quality-assured, and released here, close to the patient and the surgeon. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi brings to this partnership the protocols, standards, and training of America's No. 1 eye hospital, and we see the Eye Bank as infrastructure for research and education as much as for transplantation."

George Corrent, MD, Head of the Cornea Service, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - Abu Dhabi, said: "Endothelial keratoplasty replaces only the thin inner layer of the cornea, so the eye keeps most of its own structure and recovery begins sooner. Our first patient went home the same day. What made the procedure possible was donor tissue reaching our operating room through Abu Dhabi Biobank - that is exactly the pathway this agreement now builds at scale."

Paul Downey, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Biobank, said: "For patients affected by corneal blindness, transplantation can mean the difference between losing sight and regaining it. Making these life-changing procedures possible requires the right infrastructure, expertise and clinical pathways. The Abu Dhabi Biobank Eye Bank is an important addition to Abu Dhabi's broader bio-infrastructure ecosystem, creating the foundation for a comprehensive vision restoration platform that supports transplantation, research and clinical excellence. Through our collaboration with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, we are helping build a future in which more patients across the region have access to sight-restoring care."

Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, Chair of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, said: "Our Abu Dhabi campus was built to bring the full depth of Bascom Palmer to patients in the region, and an eye bank is part of that. We are committed to supporting it with the same standards we hold ourselves to in Miami."