Air transportation of corneal tissue: experience with local compared to transatlantic donor corneas.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the outcome of corneas obtained at the same hospital in which they were transplanted (group 1) to that of corneas obtained in the United States and grafted in Israel (group 2).


METHODS
One hundred twenty-six patients undergoing corneal grafting in Israel during the years 1995 to 1998 were included in a retrospective, nonrandomized clinical trial. Group 1 included 31 procedures, and group 2 included 95. Data regarding preoperative condition, tissue characteristics, and postoperative outcome were collected from hospital charts. Statistically significant difference between groups was considered as P < 0.05.


RESULTS
Follow-up time was 796 +/- 523 days for group 1 (mean +/- SD) and 815 +/- 510 days for group 2. Donor age and gender, recipient age and gender, graft size, and length of follow-up were similar. Time from preservation to transplantation was longer for group 2 (8.8 +/- 2.29 days) compared with in group 1 (3.13 +/- 2.38 days). Graft clarity was similar between groups 1 and 2 at 1 year (79% versus 71%) and at last follow-up visit (57% versus 62%). Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and incidence of complications such as rejection (32% versus 38%), failure (35% versus 28%), secondary glaucoma (35% versus 43%), corneal ulcer (13% versus 6%), and regrafts (13% versus 7%) showed no difference between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Air transport of corneal tissue, including loss of time due to travel and handling, did not compromise corneal transplantation success rate.
Varssano
David
D
Department of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. varssano@tasmc.health.gov.il
Russ
Vivian
V
Linhart
Yifat
Y
Lazar
Moshe
M
D000401:Aircraft; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D045424:Complex Mixtures; D003315:Cornea; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D015925:Cryopreservation; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003911:Dextrans; D005125:Eye Banks; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
D045424:Complex Mixtures; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003911:Dextrans; D005839:Gentamicins; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; C075736:Optisol