Recent advances in preservation of viable corneal tissue.

Increasing numbers of preserved corneas are being transplanted as the demand for optimal bioavailability for donor corneas increases. McCarey-Kaufman (MK) short-term storage provides a sufficient endothelial cell viability for a maximum of only 4 days. Organ culture of corneoscleral discs extends post mortem storage times up to 4 weeks. K-Sol, a new cornea storage medium with 2.5% chondroitin sulfate, containing no calf serum as source of foreign protein and no dextran as artificial dehydrating agent, permits tissue to be used for at least 2 weeks after enucleation stored at 4 degrees C. The corneal endothelium was intact, as demonstrated by subsequent vital staining and phase microscope evaluation. Pachymetric measurements showed regular thinning profiles in 31 K-Sol preserved corneas for corneal transplantation, with a clear outcome after a preliminary average observation time of six months.