Safety and Efficacy Profile of Corneas Harvested From Donors of Drowning Victims

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the tissue quality and outcomes of corneal transplants from donor corneal tissues harvested from drowning victims. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on corneal tissues harvested from drowning victims between March 2018 and September 2022. Details of the tissue quality and outcomes after keratoplasty were collected from the eye bank and outpatient records. Results: Thirty-four donor corneas were collected from drowning victims during the study period. The mean age of the donors was 37.1 ± 20.3 years. The mean donor-to-preservation time was 4.9 ± 2.6 hours. The mean endothelial cell density was 3025 ± 271 cells/mm2. Twenty donor corneas (58.8%) were used at our institute, 2 were stored in glycerol for future use, and 12 were transported to other transplant centers. The overall utilization was 94.1% (32/34 corneas). Of the 20 corneas used at our institute, 17 were used for optical grafts and 3 for therapeutic indications. Of the 17 optical grafts, 10 were used for optical penetrating keratoplasty, 6 for endothelial keratoplasty, and 1 for anterior lamellar keratoplasty. The most common indication for keratoplasty was regrafting the previously failed grafts (25%). None of the transplanted eyes developed an infection in the immediate postoperative period. Eight eyes had clear grafts after 3 months. Of the 12 tissues transferred to other keratoplasty centers, 10 were used for optical grafts and 2 for therapeutic/tectonic grafts. Conclusions: Donor corneas retrieved from drowning victims may be considered safe for transplantation. The postoperative outcomes of the tissues obtained from these donors were satisfactory. Hence, these donor corneas can be optimally used in routine transplantation procedures.