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Updated: Oct 27, 2025
Corneal Donor Tissue Preparation for Endothelial Keratoplasty
Published on: June 12, 2012
Corneal Donation: Current Guidelines and Future Direction
Majid Moshirfar1,2,3, Varshini S Odayar4, Shannon E McCabe1,5
1Hoopes Vision Research Center, Draper, UT, 84020, USA.
Insights
This review covers corneal donation and eye banking practices, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on donor availability. It explores future trends to enhance corneal transplantation efficiency and safety.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Transplantation Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Corneal transplantation relies on donor corneas, with established screening and preservation protocols.
- Eye banking policies, influenced by regulatory bodies like the FDA, ensure donor suitability and prevent disease transmission.
- Emerging infectious diseases pose new challenges to donor pool safety and availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current practices and guidelines in corneal donation and eye banking.
- To describe the impact of COVID-19 and other emerging diseases on the corneal donor pool.
- To discuss future trends for improving corneal donation and eye banking efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current practices and guidelines.
- Analysis of the implications of emerging diseases, including COVID-19, on corneal donation.
- Exploration of future trends and innovations in eye banking.
Main Results:
- Global eye banks have diverse guidelines for evaluating donor cornea viability.
- Donor age, medical history, and disease transmission risk are key screening parameters.
- Emerging infectious diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2, present significant transmissibility risks.
Conclusions:
- Rigorous screening, preservation, and storage are vital for safe corneal transplantation.
- Adapting to emerging diseases is crucial for maintaining a safe and adequate donor pool.
- Advancements like partial-thickness and lamellar keratoplasty optimize the use of donor corneas.
Purpose:
This review aims to outline current practices and guidelines of corneal donation and eye banking, describes the implications of COVID-19 and emerging diseases on the corneal donor pool, and discusses future trends to improve and increase the efficiency of the processes involved in corneal donation and eye banking.
Summary:
Corneal screening, preservation, corneal storage, and prevention of systemic disease transmission from donor to recipient have been crucial in shaping the policies of the FDA and eye banks across the world. Eye banks globally have developed varying guidelines and criteria for evaluating the viability of donor corneas. Variables such as the age of the donor, medical history, and potential disease transmission are important screening parameters. While known infectious diseases may be transmissible through the cornea, emerging infectious diseases that are not well studied may be more transmissible than other infections. In particular, coronavirus has impacted corneal transplantation as SARS-CoV-2 expression has been detected in corneal tissue and conjunctiva. In recent years, partial-thickness corneal transplantations have been introduced. Lamellar grafts and other corneal layers are now utilized for transplantation of the specific areas that are damaged.
