ABSTRACT

Purpose:

To evaluate the effect of death-to-harvesting time, harvesting-to-transplantation time, age of the donor and the host, and preoperative host corneal endothelial cell density on postoperative corneal endothelial cell density and central corneal thickness.

Methods:

Eighteen eyes of 18 patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty were prospectively involved in this study. A specular microscope was used to evaluate the endothelial cell density preoperatively (Konan Eye Bank Kerato Analyzer, Model EKA-98, Japan) and at 3- and 6- months postoperatively (Tomey Endothelium Specular Microscope, EM-2000, Germany). Pachymetric measurement of the central donor cornea was performed at 1- week, 1-, 3- and 6-months postoperatively (Tomey, SP-3000, Germany).

Results:

The mean preoperative corneal endothelial cell density was 2097±85.7 (1656-2985) cells/mm2. The mean corneal endothelial cell density was 1460±130.3 (635-2546) cells/mm2 at 3-months and 1219±98.5 (504-2130) cells/mm2 at 6-months postoperatively and this difference was statistically significant (p0.05).

Conclusion:

Biomicroscopic evaluation and specular microscopy, rather than age of the donor and preservation time of the cornea, are the most valuable tools for predicting the quality of the donor cornea.