[Risk factors for failure of pre-cut eye bank UT-DSAEK grafts]

The main risk factors for graft failure in penetrating keratoplasty are well known. However, few studies have examined donor characteristics or more precise data on endothelial keratoplasty.

This was a retrospective, single-center study at the Nantes University Hospital, aiming to identify factors predictive of one-year success or failure of eye bank UT-DSAEK endothelial keratoplasty grafts prepared between May 2016 and October 2018. The outcome measure was success or failure at 12months post keratoplasty.

One hundred and five grafts were included: 93 successes and 12 failures at 12months. The failure rate was higher in 2016 compared to 2017 and 2018. The characteristics associated with higher failure rate were elderly donor, shorter time between harvesting and grafting, lower endothelial cell density, significant pre-graft endothelial cell loss, re-graft for Fuchs dystrophy, history of corneal transplant.

Our results are consistent with those in the literature. However, some factors, such as the type of corneal harvesting or pre-graft endothelial cell loss, were not found. UT-DSAEK has demonstrated better results than DSAEK, but still appears to be somewhat inferior to DMEK.

The main factor for graft failure in our study was an early re-graft within 12months. However, the low incidence of graft failure limits interpretation of these results.