FRESH AND CULTURED CORNEAL GRAFTS COMPARED BY POST‐OPERATIVE THICKNESS AND ENDOTHELIAL CELL DENSITY

Abstract

Corneas (39) were removed within 6 h post mortem and stored in a moist chamber at 4.degree. C before grafting. The mean donor age was 33 yr and the average time between death and grafting was 11 h. Thirty cadaver corneas were selected after trypan blue staining and cultured at 31.degree. C for 24 h before grafting. The mean donor age was 61 yr and the mean time between death and culture was 18 h. During the first 10 postoperative days fresh grafts were thinner than cultured grafts. One year after the transplantation the 2 groups did not differ significantly in regard to the clinical result, corneal thickness or endothelial cell loss. This indicates that corneas from old donors with extended post mortem time can be used for transplantation after individual evaluation and corneal culture.