Donor Corneal Tissue Utilization and Factors Responsible for Rejection in Tertiary Eye Care Hospital in North India

Purpose: To evaluate the donated cornea and find out the pattern & factors influencing the utilization of corneal tissue. Study design: Retrospective, non-comparative observational study. Material and Methods: Data of 1273 donor eyes collected from all over the Haryana under Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme (HRCP) and those collected from voluntary donors at their residence from April 2011 to March 2020 were analyzed including the cause of death, gender, age, place of tissue procurement, Death to Enucleation time, grades of tissue and various utilization parameters. Results: A total number of 1273 of eyes were procured out of which 774 (60.8%) were fit for corneal transplantation while 499 (39.19%) were not fit. Conclusion: Utility of the donor cornea depends upon various factors like age, death enucleation time, cause of death, maintenance of cold chain and technique of tissue procurement.