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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Announcements

Reviewer Acknowledgement 2012-2013

Editorial

Looking Back on the First 18 Months of Publication and Looking Forward to Opportunities to Come

Original Research

Tissue Processing for Ultra-Thin Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty

Comparison of Electrolyte Composition in Four Eye Bank Media During Corneal Preservation

Freezing of Surplus Donated Whole Eyes in the Central Eye Bank of Iran

Picture Challenge

Picture Challenge: What is This?

Picture Challenge: What is This?

Report

Development of the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations

Implementation of Standardized Terminology and ISBT 128 Product Codes for Ocular Tissue

Research Review

Recent Advance in the Cryopreservation of Corneal Limbal Stem Cells

Freezing of Surplus Donated Whole Eyes in the Central Eye Bank of Iran

Authors

Mozhgan Rezaei Kanavi, MD, Mohammad Ali Javadi, MD, Fatemeh Javadi, Tahereh Chamani, MS

Keywords

cornea, freezing, whole eyes, DALK, eye banks, thawing

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the method of freezing and thawing of donated whole eyes (DWEs), which were surplus to requirements in the Central Eye Bank of Iran (CEBI), and to report the 3-year results of using defrosted corneas in deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in keratoconic eyes.

METHODS: The method of freezing and thawing of surplus DWEs in the CEBI is described. Surplus DWEs at the CEBI were disinfected, processed, and transferred to the freezer (-70°C) for long-term preservation. In case of a shortage of fresh and refrigerated corneas for DALK, a frozen DWE was defrosted and distributed for transplantation either as a whole eye in moist chamber or as an excised corneoscleral disc in Eusol C at 2˚C to 8˚C. Furthermore, eye bank data of the frozen DWEs as well as postoperative eye bank reports of implementation of defrosted corneas for DALK in patients with keratoconus between March 2010 and March 2013 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS: In a 3-year period, 593 surplus DWEs were frozen. Mean duration of freezing was 86.94 ± 38.7 days (range, 5 days to 231 days). All the frozen corneas were used for DALK in patients with keratoconus. Mean follow-up period after transplantation was 20.3 ± 10.4 months (range, 1 month to 34 months). With the exception of 21 grafted corneas (3.5%) that needed regraft due to persistent epithelial defects, other grafted corneas were reported clear and well-epithelialized postoperatively by the surgeons.

CONCLUSIONS: Freezing surplus DWEs is a feasible and practical method for long-term preservation of corneas in the eye banks that harvest whole eyes. Implementation of this technique provides an enlarged and reliable source of donor corneas to meet the requirements for DALK, especially when a shortage exists for fresh donor corneas for transplantation.

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