[Financial aspects of tissue bank activities]

Nowadays, we are faced with increasing challenges in the field of tissue banking. New technologies and scientific advances have resulted in new standards designed by European Union in the form of Directives. Our ophthalmologists have also participated in this process, Professor Nikica Gabrić as member of the European Eye Bank Association Committee (1999-2005) and Associate Professor Iva Dekaris as member of the same Committee (2005-2006). Since this year, Associate Professor Iva Dekaris has been appointed actual vice-president and future president of this general European organization in charge of corneal tissue banking. She will hold the position for the next three years by automatism. New regulations made to enhance tissue banking in order to provide greater amount of safety and contentment for patients necessitate increased costs. Taking eye bank as an example, we showed financial problems that each tissue bank is faced with every day. Taking care of all the costs needed for processing human corneal tissue in Croatia that will be used for transplantation, we calculated approximate costs required for this process and compared them with other countries.