A national clinical research trial led to some promising findings regarding storing corneal donor tissue. Until now, corneas could only be stored for seven days or less, if surgeons are going to use the tissue. The study found that the cornea, our eye's clear outer covering, is still viable for transplant after 11 days of storage. The findings appear in JAMA Ophthalmology.


“Finding ideal donor-patient matches requires time, technology and manpower. Lengthening the timeframe for tissue evaluation will ultimately help expand the donor pool,” said Dr. Macsai, an ophthalmologist at NorthShore University Health System, Glenview, Illinois, and president of the Cornea Society, a U.S.-based international society of corneal surgeons.

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"NIH study finds donor corneas can be safely preserved for longer period"