Extending Corneal Storage With 2.5% Chondroitin Sulfate (K-Sol)

Abstract

K-Sol ™ corneal storage medium maintains corneal viability for at least ten days, compared with McCareyKauf man (M-K) medium, which does so for a reported maximum of three days. Since many eye banks still use M-K medium exclusively, stored corneas must be used without undue delay, and shipping time further hastens the planned surgery time. Transferring the shipped M-K medium-stored cornea to K-Sol offers a simple way of increasing storage time in our eye bank. Ninety-five out of 100 transferred corneas (95%) remained clear 3 to 18 months postoperatively. There were no primary graft failures, and transferred corneal mates were clear. A comparable series of 100 corneas stored in M-K medium alone, or in K-SoI alone, were clear in 93% and 97% of the transplants. Analysis of donor rims after keratoplasty indicated statistically significantly more endothelial cell loss during storage in corneas transferred to K-SoI compared with 18 corneas preserved only in M-K medium for a similar length of time. There was no statistical significance between the transferred group and the group preserved in only K-Sol. Transferring M-K medium stored corneas to K-SoI medium may be a useful means of extending corneal storage time, resulting in improved tissue utilization.

Evaluating the effect of corneal tissue preservation on graft survival after penetrating keratoplasty

“…Similar results were shown by Gregory A Stainer et al (2013) 9 and associates who had done a study at Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison with 130 patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty with moist chamber and MK media stored donor corneas had found that, MK medium is better alternative when compared to moist chamber if used for preservation within 48 hours after the death of donor.…”