Corneal transplantation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic: an international perspective

Abstract

Corneal blindness is the third leading cause of blindness worldwide.¹ Corneal transplantation remains the only method of restoring vision in eyes with end-stage corneal decompensation and is the most frequently performed type of transplant worldwide.² Due to the immunological and lymphogenic privilege of the avascular cornea, keratoplasty is the most successful tissue transplantation procedure currently performed in humans.³ However, as with most solid-organ transplants, the risk of transmitting infectious diseases and viruses is an important aspect of corneal transplantation that can affect recipients or those handling donor tissue.⁴ Thus, the rapid emergence of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) since December 2019 has led to a devastating impact on corneal transplantation worldwide.