Two-Year Outcomes Of A Prospective Randomized Trial On Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty Using Dehydrated Versus Standard Organ Culture Stored Donor Corneas
Published 2024 - 42nd Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: PP16.07 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/fpcz-qp31
Authors: Luigi De Rosa* 1 , Cristina Bovone 1 , Angeli Christy Yu 1 , Diego Ponzin 2 , Stefano Ferrari 2 , Alessandro Ruzza 2 , Davide Camposanpiero 2 , Massimo Busin 1
1Department of Translational Medicine,University of Ferrara,Ferrara,Italy, 2Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus,Venice,Italy
Purpose
To compare the 24-month outcomes of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) using dehydrated versus standard organ culture-stored donor corneas for eyes with keratoconus
Setting
Ospedali Privati Forlì "Villa Igea", Department of Ophthalmology, Forlì, Italy
Methods
In this prospective, randomized, single-center, institutionally funded, 2-arm, parallel-group noninferiority clinical trial, adult patients (age ≥18 years) with keratoconus scheduled for elective DALK with successful type 1 bubble pneumatic dissection were randomized during surgery to receive either dehydrated or standard organ culture-stored donor corneas. Secondary analysis of 24-month best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refractive astigmatism (RA), endothelial cell density (ECD), and complication rates was performed.
Results
Postoperative BSCVA did not significantly differ between groups at 24 months (p>0.05). No significant differences between groups were observed in terms of postoperative RA and ECD (p>0.05). No patient developed immune rejection or graft failure within the 24-month follow-up period.
Conclusions
At 24 month’s postoperatively, the study provides evidence that the use of dehydrated corneas is noninferior to the use of standard organ culture donor corneas for DALK. Corneal tissue dehydration represents a viable solution that can allow long-term cornea preservation and avoid wastage of unused corneas