Storage of donor cornea for penetrating and lamellar transplantation

Abstract

The foundations of eye banking and corneal preservation were laid by Filatov in 1937 with the recognition that donor tissue for corneal transplants could be recovered post-mortem [1]. For many years, the ophthalmic surgeon was in direct control of the process, often being directly responsible for both procurement of donor tissue and the transplant surgery itself. However, over the past few decades, the responsibility for the provision of a viable, disease-free donor cornea has been entrusted to the eye bank, and the ophthalmic surgeons now have to rely on these services as an important aspect of their surgery and treatment.