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Cornea Donor Study (CDS)

Close view of an older woman's eye
Close view of an older eye.

The age pool of corneas for transplant should be expanded to include donors up to 75 years of age, based on findings from an NEI-funded study. Corneal transplants using tissue from older donors have similar rates of survival to those using tissue from younger donors. 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.

Last updated: October 21, 2025