Corneal storage methods: considerations and impact on surgical outcomes

Introduction: With recent developments in the field of eye banking, human corneas are not only procured and preserved, but also processed and prepared for transplantation. However, one of the challenges that still persists is the long-term storage of tissues without damaging the corneal endothelial cells. Thus, the review aims at reporting the influence of tissue storage conditions on the clinical outcomes. Areas covered: Endothelial cell loss (ECL), graft survival, and contamination from the tissues stored in hypothermic storage and organ culture and; other storage options such as cryopreservation and lyophilization. Expert opinion: Hypothermic storage and organ culture have shown similar ECL. However, due to the relatively new techniques and limited long-term clinical studies, further evaluation is essential to assess the effect of storage time and conditions on the grafts deemed for endothelial keratoplasty.