[Keratoplasty and donor age distribution].
BACKGROUND
In the past corneas from young donors were favored. There are only few reports of PK with old donor corneas. Concerning donor age we were not very stringent in our patients. Therefore many old corneas were transplanted. We present long-term results of these patients and enter again into the unanswered question: Is there a correlation between graft failure and donor age?


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 615 PK out of 1986 to 1991. In addition to own records we requested reports from retreating ophthalmologists concerning graft clarity. Mean follow-up was 37.3 months. Two thirds of our recipients had favorable diagnoses for graft success (keratoconus 30.6%, Fuchs dystrophy 17.6%, bullous keratopathy in pseudophakia 14.1%, keratitis scrophulosa 5.5%).


RESULTS
The donor age was between 31 and 98 years, average age 71.2 years (SD 11.8). Out of 615 transplants 61 became cloudy. The mean age of all clear transplants was 71.0 years compared to 72.7 years in opaque transplants. The difference was not significant. Excluding all high-risk patients (herpes, varia, glaucoma, aphakia, Re-OP) 401 patients were left. In this group there also was no significant difference between donor age of clear and cloudy transplants. We finally compared all patients with endothelial problems (Fuchs dystrophy and bullous keratophathy). Even in this group donor age had no significant influence on graft survival.


CONCLUSIONS
In spite of spare resources and hundreds of waiting patients in the past many corneas were rejected on the basis of donor age. Our results should encourage eye banks and cornea surgeons to accept even very old corneas, when other screening criteria are good.
Meyer
H J
HJ
Augenklinik des Marienhospitals Osnabrück.
Labjuhn
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003315:Cornea; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors
Keratoplastik und Spenderalter.