Age 75 is the New 65 When It Comes to Cornea
Transplants, Study Finds
Increasing donor pool to age 75 can expand supply
significantly
April 2, 2008 Age 75 is the new 65, at least as
proven for cornea. The pool of cornea transplant donors - often limited
to those 65 years of age and younger - should be expanded to include
donors up to 75 years of age, according to a study by the National Eye
Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health and published in
the April issue of Ophthalmology.
The study found the five-year transplant success
rate was the same 86 percent for transplants performed with corneas
from donors ages 12 to 65 years and from donors ages 66 to 75.
The cornea is a clear dome-shaped surface that
covers the front of the eye, offers protection, and helps focus light
entering the eye.
The availability of donor corneas has been adequate
for the past 10 years in the United States, where more than 33,000
corneal transplants are performed each year. In 2006, 44,747 corneal
grafts were supplied by US eye banks. The gift of sight was
contributed by over 42,000 donors and 33,674 corneal transplants were
performed in the U.S.
However, recent changes in U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) regulations will likely cause a decrease in the
supply of donated corneas. These new regulations, which took effect in
June 2007, require additional screening and testing of potential donors
for contagious diseases, registration of eye banks, more detailed
records and labels, and stricter quarantine procedures.
"This pivotal study on transplantation indicates
that corneas from older individuals are just as successful as those from
younger donors," said Alan Sugar, M.D., a nationally-known cornea
surgeon at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, one of the
study sites.
"One result of the study is an expanded pool of
cornea donors," said Dr. Sugar, but he notes that the study will also
help surgeons learn more about the procedure itself.
"The study team is analyzing additional data that
will help us understand more fully the factors involved in a successful
cornea transplant," he said.
Dr. Sugar noted that the Cornea Donor Study will
continue for another five years, allowing more time to follow patients
and interpret data.
The U-M Kellogg Eye Center is one of 80 sites that
participated in the Cornea Donor Study, which included more than 1,101
participants and 105 surgeons from across the United States.
Participants were between 40 and 80 years of age
and were chosen for the study if they were in need of a corneal
transplant for a corneal disease that put them at moderate risk for
clouding of the transplanted cornea. After the transplant surgery, the
participants were followed for five years.
The transplant was considered a failure if a repeat
corneal transplant was required or if the cornea was cloudy for at least
three months.
Donor corneas were provided by 43 participating eye
banks, with the Midwest Eye-Bank being the leading supplier of tissue.
All donor corneas met Eye Bank Association of America standards for
human corneal transplantation and were consistent with eye banks tissue
ratings of good to excellent quality.
"The pressure on eye banks to provide corneas is
increasing," said Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of NEI.
"The results of this study will expand the
available donor pool and should persuade surgeons to use corneas from
older donors. These changes will greatly benefit the growing number of
individuals who need corneal transplants."
For years, the U-M Kellogg Eye Center has played a
significant role in corneal transplantation. Kellogg ophthalmologists
helped to establish the Michigan Eye-Bank in 1957, and it resided in the
Kellogg Eye Center until 2006.
Today, Cornea Service faculty at Kellogg are
pioneering the use of the femtosecond (ultra-fast) laser in cornea
transplantation. Kellogg ophthalmologists discovered this lasers
potential for refractive surgery and other eye procedures in the early
1990s.
The Cornea Service at the U-M Kellogg Eye Center
serves a broad population nationally and in southeastern Michigan and is
known for its expertise in various forms of cornea transplantation,
refractive surgery, and cataract surgery.
Overall, the demand for organs and tissue is
greater than the supply available for transplantation. Michigan
residents who wish to become donors can register at
www.giftoflifemichigan.org or at any Secretary of State Branch
office. More information is available from the Michigan Eye-Bank at
www.michiganeyebank.org.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
April 2, 2008 Age 75 is the new 65, at least as
proven for cornea. The pool of cornea transplant donors - often limited
to those 65 years of age and younger - should be expanded to include
donors up to 75 years of age, according to a study by the National Eye
Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health and published in
the April issue of Ophthalmology.