Anterior Section or Preservation of Corneas in Medium

With the use of suitable preserving medium, it is possible to prolong life of the cornea by additional three to four days. In this method, the cornea is cut and separated from the eyeball and stored in a suitable medium as it is neither possible nor necessary to store the entire eye ball in the medium. The reader will appreciate the great importance of the use of a suitable medium in prolonging the life of a cornea. It is a major breakthrough in the field of eye banking and corneal transplant. Till recently, the medium popularly known as M.K. Medium, was not indigenously produced. However, the same is now available from the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad and all members of the Eye Bank Association of India are eligible to get same on a no-profit-no-loss basis. While discussing the preservation of corneas in media, it must be mentioned that simultaneously with the use of the MK medium, adequate care and precaution needs to be taken while cutting and separating the cornea from the eye ball and storing it in the medium so as to avoid contamination. In other words, this must be done in a totally aseptic environment; as otherwise, the ingredients of the medium whilst being useful in prolonging the life of corneal tissue can also prove nutritive to the harmful bacteria which can damage the tissue itself.