Influence of Donor Tissue Factors on Detachment Rate in DSAEK Patients

Purpose. To determine whether the rate of graft detachment in patients undergoing the DSAEK procedure is influenced by the time elapsed between donor death and tissue implantation. Methods. Data on procedure outcome and donor tissue for patients undergoing the DSAEK procedure were reviewed. Data on time elapsed between harvest, processing, storage, and implantation of the tissue, as well as donor tissue endothelial cell count were obtained from reports made available from the Eye Bank of Canada. The adverse outcome of interest was graft detachment. Results. 71 cases were reviewed, with 14% resulting in detachment. The following time periods were compared between detachment and nondetachment groups: donor death to enucleation; enucleation to processing; duration of storage at the Eye Bank to implantation. No statistically significant differences were found (Student's t-test, P > 0.05). Endothelial cell counts of donor tissue were compared between the two groups, and no statistically significant difference was found (Student's t-test, P > 0.05). Conclusion. The range of processing times and endothelial cell counts in donor tissue available from the Eye Bank did not predict a change in the rate of graft dislocation in one surgeon's practice.