Primary Penetrating Keratoplasty for Keratoconus

From 1974 to 1978 the Medical Eye Bank, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland, supplied the donor material for keratoplasties in 410 cases of keratoconus. Follow-up information of six months or more was obtained in 390 cases. In 322 cases, the recipient eye was phakic without previous keratoplasties on the recipient eye and a penetrating keratoplasty was done solely for the improvement of vision. Graft clarity was examined in terms of donor and recipient variables. Overall graft clarity was 93% and it was equally good using donor tissue from whole eyes preserved in moist chamber compared to donor tissue from the Medical Examiner preserved in McCarey-Kaufman medium. Thus, the Medical Examiner's office has proved to be a safe, reliable source of excellent donor tissue.