PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY USING ORGAN-CULT URED DONOR TISSUE - ONE-YEAR RESULTS

Purpose To evaluate the clinical results of corneal transplantations u sing organ-cultured donor corneas. Material and methods We retrospecti vely studied our 50 first penetrating keratoplasties performed with co rneas organ-cultured ibr 2 to 5 weeks at + 31 degrees C (Inosol(R) med ium, Opsia). The average follow-up is 11.6 months. The main indication s for grafting were bullous keratopathy (56 %) and keratoconus (26 %). Results At 1 year the graft survival rate was 81 %. The causes of gra ft failure were immune rejection (n = 3), non immune secondary endothe lial decompensation (n = 3) and uncontrolled glaucoma (n = 1). The ave rage endothelial density during the second year was 1 349 cell/mm(2). It was 1 852 in the group of keratoconus and 751 in the group of bullo us keratopathy. The average corrected visual acuity was 20/66 at 12 mo nths. it was 20/45 in the group of keratoconus and 20/125 in the group of bullous keratopathy. The average astigmatism was 4.9 D, but runnin g suture was still present al 12 months in most patients. Compared wit h graft survival after storage at + 4 degrees C (retrospective paired control group), graft survival was higher after organ culture, but the difference does nor reach the statistical significant threshold (p = 0.07). Conclusions Organ culture is able to ensure the quality of corn eal endothelium and then avoids non immune primary graft failure.