PURPOSE: To determine the factors related to donor and tissue retrieval, which influence the suitability of organ-cultured corneas for transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 2596 donor corneas. Polytomic logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of various factors (that is, donor age, cause of death, death-to-tissue retrieval time, tissue retrieval-to-reception time, and tissue retrieval method) on the suitability of grafts for transplantation. Positive predictive values (PPVs) were computed. RESULTS: Forty-three percent (1118/2596) of corneas were discarded. The leading cause for discarding corneas was poor endothelial quality (21.5%). Corneas from donors older than 80 years were more likely to be discarded because of endothelial insufficiency (OR=2.37, P=0.001). Longer time between death and tissue retrieval was associated with increased risk of positive serology (OR=1.43, P=0.02). Increased time between tissue retrieval and reception was associated with increased risk of contamination (OR=1.57, P=0.03). PPV increased from 38.5% for corneas retrieved from donors older than 80 years featuring a death-to-tissue retrieval time of more than 6 h and a tissue retrieval-to-reception time of more than 24 h to 64.7% for corneas retrieved from donors younger than 80 years featuring a death-to tissue retrieval time shorter than 6 h and a tissue retrieval-to-reception time shorter than 24 h. CONCLUSION: The percentage of discarded corneas can be reduced by including donors aged 80 years or less, using a time from donor's death to tissue retrieval shorter than 6 h, and a tissue retrieval-to-reception time shorter than 24 h.