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.

Keywords: Penetrating keratoplasty, specular microscopy, pachymetry, corneal endothelium, eye banking