The thesis “Factors associated with the endothelial count of corneal tissue from donors at the Multitissue Bank and Advanced Therapies Center of the FOSCAL International Clinic,” written by Laura Sofía Torres Parada, a student in the Ophthalmology Specialization program at the UIS, supervised by Professor Alejandro Tello Hernández and co-supervised by Professor Néstor Iván Carreño Jaimes, was recognized with the distinction “Meritorious Thesis,” according to Agreement No. 233 of September 9, 2025, of the University Academic Council.
This work was presented at the National and International Ophthalmology Congress in Cartagena (Colombia) in August 2024, and was published in the international journal Saudi Journal of Ophthalmology.
In her study, Dr. Torres Parada analyzed more than 250 corneas donated to the FOSCAL Multitissue Bank and found that the age of the donor is the main factor affecting the quality of the tissue to be transplanted, since the older the donor, the lower the number of cells that keep the cornea transparent. It was also found that diabetes further reduces this count.
These findings are key because they help improve tissue selection and handling criteria, which directly impacts the success of corneal transplants and the vision of patients who receive these transplants.
Congratulations to Dr. Torres Parada, her professors, and the entire ophthalmology specialization program at UIS, in partnership with FOSCAL.
