Abstract
To assess the quantitative and qualitative parameters of pre-cut posterior corneal lamellae for Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty with a stromal rim (DMEK-S) prepared manually in the Ocular Tissue Bank Prague. All 65 successfully prepared pre-cut posterior corneal lamellae provided for grafting during a 2-year period were analyzed retrospectively. The lamellae, consisting of a central zone of endothelium-Descemet membrane surrounded by a supporting peripheral stromal rim, were prepared manually from corneoscleral buttons having an endothelial cell density higher than 2,500 cells/mm2. The live endothelial cell density, the percentage of dead cells, the hexagonality and the coefficient of variation were assessed before and immediately after preparation as well as after 2 days of organ culture storage at 31 °C. Altogether, the endothelium of 57 lamellae was assessed. Immediately after preparation, the mean live endothelial cell density was 2,835 cells/mm2 and, on average, 1.8 % of dead cells were found. After 2 days of storage, the cell density decreased significantly to 2,757 cells/mm2 and the percentage of dead cells to 1.0 %. There was a significant change in the mean hexagonality and the coefficient of variation after lamellar preparation and subsequent storage. The amount of tissue wasted during the preparation was 23 %. The endothelial cell density of posterior corneal lamellae sent for DMEK-S was higher than 2,700 cells/mm2 in average with a low percentage of dead cells; 65 pre-cut tissues were used for grafting during a 2-year period.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports research project 0021620806/20610011. Institutional support was provided by PRVOUK-P24/LF1/3 program of the Charles University in Prague. IK was partially supported by the grant SVV-2012-264514 from the Charles University in Prague.
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Krabcova, I., Studeny, P. & Jirsova, K. Endothelial quality of pre-cut posterior corneal lamellae for Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty with a stromal rim (DMEK-S): two-year outcome of manual preparation in an ocular tissue bank. Cell Tissue Bank 14, 325–331 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-012-9327-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-012-9327-z