[Human grafts preserved at +37 degrees C. Initial clinical results]

This study reports the clinical use of donor corneas stored at +37 degrees C in organ culture medium. Twenty-five penetrating keratoplasties were performed. The mean storage time of organ-cultured donor corneas was 12.3 days (3-21). The follow up of the patients was 12 months. The criteria for the survival of corneal grafts was mean central corneal thickness, clarity of the cornea and mean endothelial cell density. The graft survival was 92% at 12 months. The mean central corneal thicken was 0.54 mm. The mean endothelial cell density was 1625 cells/mm2. The mean decrease in endothelial cell density at 12 months was 40.6%.