Outcome of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Using Corneas from Donors >= 80 Years of Age

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether corneas from donors Z80 years old are suitable for Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative, interventional case series. METHODS: Records of 1,765 consecutive DMEKs were reviewed and matched with corresponding donor tissue data. Older donors (>= 80 years of age) were compared to younger donors ( = 80 to 94 years of age, seem to produce comparable mid-term functional results following DMEK surgery compared to younger donors. The use of corneas from donors aged >= 80 for DMEK surgery may therefore be a promising approach to counteract global donor shortage. ((C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.