One donor cornea for 3 recipients: a new concept for corneal transplantation surgery.

OBJECTIVE To describe the use of a single donor corneal tissue in 3 patients with corneal pathologic conditions. METHODS A donor corneal tissue was divided into 3 parts using a microkeratome and a trephine. The anterior lamellar disc was transplanted into a patient with macular corneal dystrophy using the automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty technique. The posterior lamellar disc was transplanted into a patient with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy using the Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty technique. The peripheral corneoscleral rim was used for limbal stem cell transplantation in a child with limbal stem cell deficiency. RESULTS All surgical procedures were performed successfully. At 3 months, the best-corrected visual acuities achieved following automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty, Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, and limbal stem cell transplantation were 20/60, 20/40, and 20/200, respectively. CONCLUSION The advent of customized component corneal transplantation techniques may allow the use of 1 donor cornea to treat multiple patients.