Donna Drury, MBA, CEBT, CTBS
Maximizing donated ocular tissue while insuring the best transplantation
outcome for the patient is the goal for all eye banks.
Maximizing tissue placement is challenging for eye banks due to
the difficulties associated with controlling the number of qualified
ocular donors as compared to surgical schedules. Utilization
of corneas with extended preservation times of up to 11 days can
help eye banks maximize placement of locally recovered tissues.
Results from the Cornea Preservation Time Study (CPTS) released
in November 2017 suggest that utilization of corneas for
endothelial keratoplasty (EK) surgeries with preservation times
of up to 11 days does not compromise patient outcomes. This
study examines a method for implementing this data into the
routine practice of corneal transplant surgeons in a manner that
benefits the eye bank, donor families, surgeons and recipients.