Can we trust elderly donor grafts for corneal transplantation?

EDITOR—Davis described the general increasing demand for donor organs in the United States and worldwide.1 Ophthalmology has special problems in this regard as corneal penetrating keratoplasty has become one of the most widely performed transplantations. Worldwide estimates are of 100 000 transplants performed annually, including 40 000 in the United States and 3500-4500 in Germany. The requirements for donor tissue exceed currently available tissue 20-fold.2 Younger corneas are preferred as they generally have more endothelial cells. This non-replicating endothelium is essential for the …