[Possibilities and biological properties of variously applied methods of corneal preservation]

As the demand for donor corneas increases, not only fresh donor material but also increasing numbers of preserved corneas are being transplanted. The simple eye-banking procedures such as the moist chamber and the McCarey-Kaufman medium provide sufficient endothelial cell viability for short periods. The methods of organ culture of corneoscleral disks extend storage periods to up to four weeks. Cryopreservation as a method of long-term storage has not come to be widely used owing to the complicated procedure involved and the considerable damage thus caused to endothelial cells. Thus, the organ culture method may represent a compromise between extended storage periods and good endothelial cell viability.