Preservation Techniques of the Human Cadaveric Eye

Various preservation methods have been devised to prolong the storage of human cadavers that are donated for research and training purposes. However, the majority of these embalming solutions fail to maintain the structure of the human cadaveric bulbi oculi intact, as they have a tendency to become deflated and dehydrated post-mortem. In fact, as a result, many ophthalmic surgery tuition centers are currently resorting to the use of fresh animal eyes to aid their students in mastering ocular surgical techniques. The objective of this literature review is to identify methods that warrant further investigation as they may aid in devising effective preservation techniques for the human cadaveric eye. Methods that can possibly be applied to increase the intra-ocular pressure and prevent deflation of the human cadaveric eye include: the administration of increased fluid injections to increase volume, application of the head-down tilt, cauthery or clamping of the optic nerve and ophthalmic vessels, induction of corneal rigidity as well as alteration of angle closure and cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Moreover, several corneal artificial hydration solutions exist that warrant further experimentation to establish if they can also be used to prevent dehydration of the human cadaveric eye. These include: hyaluronic acid or carboxymethylcellulose-based solutions, trehalose-based solutions, hydroxypropyl-guar or hypromellose-based solutions as well as hypotonic or isotonic saline.