Long-Term Graft Survival and Decline in Endothelial Cell Density Following Penetrating Keratoplasty with Organ-Cultured Corneas.
Ali E GhareebMaria S FigueiredoSayali P PradhanElinor CurnowW John ArmitageFrancisco C FigueiredoPublished in: Ophthalmology and therapy (2022)
Rate of endothelial decompensation is higher in first grafts than re-grafts. ECD decline stabilises 7.9 years post-operatively in first grafts but then becomes lower than the physiological loss expected. Further work is needed to verify whether organ-cultured grafts reach physiological levels of ECD loss faster than hypothermically stored grafts.