Influence of donor storage time on corneal allograft survival.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of graft storage time on corneal allograft survival in high-risk and low-risk patients.

Design: Comparative retrospective nonrandomized clinical trial.

Participants: Overall, 193 patients with 210 corneal allografts were classified as high risk or low risk for corneal allograft rejection on the basis of recipient corneal neovascularization and number of ipsilateral transplants.

Methods: Data from 3 groups were evaluated. The first group received fresh (no storage in culture medium) corneas, the second received corneas of donor storage time less than 7 days in minimum essential medium (MEM) at 37 degrees C, and the final group received corneas stored in MEM longer than 7 days. Recipients were analyzed for development of immune rejection according to storage time of the corneal tissue. Corneal allograft survival rate was determined with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The log-rank test was used to determine statistical significance.

Main Outcome Measures: Risk of reversible and irreversible allograft rejection in corneas stored at various intervals in high-corneal and low-corneal transplant patients.

Results: High-risk corneal allograft recipients had a significantly prolonged allograft survival when the tissue was stored for 7 days or greater, compared with recipients receiving fresh tissues. Patients at low risk of corneal allograft rejection also showed a tendency for prolonged survival, although not statistically significant (P = 0.06).

Conclusions: Storage of corneal tissue may reduce the frequency of allograft rejection, especially in high-risk patients.