Studies on freezing corneal tissue

Abstract

A report of a pilot study of two methods of pretreatment of corneas for freezing is presented. Corneas that were pretreated by gradual introduction of glycerol solution to a final concentration of 15% appeared viable up to 6 hr after reconstitution, as evidenced by their ability to maintain normal hydration and transparency when exposed to artificial aqueous humor for up to 6 hr. On the other hand, corneas pretreated by immediate introduction of 15% glycerol solution fared poorly, appearing much less viable (if at all) than the former group up to 6 hr after reconstitution. The implication and further work suggested by this study are discussed.