Split cornea donor tissue may be stored up to 1 week before DALK, DMEK
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Anterior and posterior donor tissue that was stored up to 1 week before surgery showed no significant endothelial cell loss or complications 1 year after transplantation, according to a study.
The retrospective, nonrandomized study included 110 eyes with anterior stromal disease that was suitable for deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and 110 eyes with endothelial disease that was suitable for Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty.
Best corrected visual acuity, visual and refractive outcomes, endothelial cell density, and complication rates were measured before surgery and at 1 day, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months postoperatively.
After donor tissue was split for transplantation, the mean storage time was 35 ± 47 hours for anterior donor grafts and 21 ± 40 hours for posterior grafts. The total storage time was 352 ± 108 hours for anterior lamellas and 339 ± 109 hours for posterior lamellas, the authors said.
With 1 year of follow-up, no significant association between split donor storage time and BCVA, endothelial cell loss or complication rates was observed for DALK or DMEK.