Eyes.com

Eye Care and Eye Surgery Blog

Archive for the ‘Corneal Transplant’ Category

Higher Cataract Formation Risk in Older DSEK Patients

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

According to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, patients who are at least 50-years-old and have undergone Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) are more likely than younger patients to develop cataracts.

This is because older people’s eyes are losing accommodation and leaving the natural lens in after DSEK is less beneficial, says one of the author’s of the study. However, younger patients are much more likely to be able to respond to cataract surgery and so this is still a viable option for them.

The author and her colleagues write that DSEK patients should be counseled about the potential risks of cataracts forming after the eye surgery, and what their options are.

The study included 60 phakic eyes that had undergone DSEK, but only included first-treated eyes in patients that were treated bilaterally. The median age of the patients was 52. Results showed that 22 eyes, or 37 percent, needed cataract surgery after DSEK. At the time the surgeries were needed, median age of the patients was 57. The probability of undergoing cataract surgery after DSEK was up to 40 percent within three years. However, in 20 patients who were no older than 50, the probability of undergoing cataract surgery within three years was only seven percent.

If you have questions about DSEK or cataracts, please contact an experienced eye doctor in your area through www.eyes.com today.

Posted in Cataracts, Corneal Transplant | Comments Off

Single Donor Cornea Can Help Two Patients

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Doctors in Germany, led by Ludwig M. Heindl, M.D. of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nurnberg, have published a study in this month’s issue of Ophthalmology demonstrating that a single donor cornea can help two different recipients.

Not all cornea transplant recipients need the full thickness of the donor cornea, of which Dr. Heindl and colleagues took advantage. They split the donor corneas into two layers—the anterior lamella and the endothelium-Descemet’s membrane.

The first layer, the anterior lamella was then transplanted onto the eyes of a patient suffering from keratoconus. This type of corneal transplant is known as a deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, or DALK.

Next, the second layer was transplanted into a different patient who had Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy. This surgery is called Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK).

This resourceful approach may have very positive implications for the future of corneal transplant surgery, allowing patients with different eye diseases and conditions to receive separate transplants from the same cornea. This should hopefully reduce the wait time for donor corneas and reduce the overall cost of cornea transplantation.

To learn more about corneal transplants or to get treatment for a cornea condition that affects your vision, please contact a local ophthalmologist today and set up a consultation.

Posted in Corneal Transplant, Diseases and Conditions, Eye Anatomy, Eye Surgery, Lamellar Keratoplasty | Comments Off

Ophthalmologist Rand Paul Wins Senate Race in Kentucky

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

In Tuesday’s midterm elections, Congressman Rand Paul defeated Democrat Jack Conway to become Kentucky’s newest US Senator and the first ophthalmologist win a Senate seat. He is joined by fellow Republican John Boozman of Kansas, who is an optometrist. Several ophthalmologists have run for Congress, but Paul is the first to move from the House of Representatives to the Senate.

Senator-elect Paul was a Tea Party favorite in the Kentucky Senate race, and is the son of noted libertarian Congressman Ron Paul, who ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States in 1988 as the Libertarian Party nominee and again twenty years later competing for the Republican nomination. Rand’s father Ron Paul is also a physician, serving as an Air Force flight surgeon in the 1960s. Both Rand Paul and his father are considered extremely conservative, but Rand Paul is more closely associated with the emergent Tea Party movement.

Rand Paul still owns his private ophthalmology practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he has specialized in corneal transplants, LASIK, and glaucoma treatment. Paul is also a member of the Lions Club, a service organization known worldwide for helping needy individuals with optical health, both diagnosis and treatment.

Some controversy emerged in June over Paul’s decision to let his certification from the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) lapse over a dispute with the organization. This means that Paul is not a “board-certified” ophthalmologist as he had claimed, being certified only by the National Board of Ophthalmology, which Paul himself founded in protest against the ABO. Paul is still licensed in Kentucky in good standing, and is still qualified to practice ophthalmology despite lacking board certification.

Despite a viciously negative campaign, Paul won a convincing victory over his rival, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, with 56% of the votes compared to Conway’s 44%.

Posted in Corneal Transplant, Glaucoma, LASIK, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Biosynthetic Corneas Help Restore Vision

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

A clinical trial of biosynthetic corneas conducted by Dr. Per Fagerholm of Linkoping University in Sweden and Dr. May Griffith of the University of Ottowa’s Ottowa Hospital Research Institute has produced very encouraging results. Dr. Griffith has been working with her colleagues for over a decade to produce a viable biosynthetic cornea suitable for implantation in humans. Collaborating with Dr. Fagerholm, she began a clinical trial two years ago of this first-ever biosynthetic corneal implant in humans.

For two years, Drs. Griffith and Fagerholm closely followed the progress of the 10 patients who received the biosynthetic corneas. Now, they have found that the patients’ cells and nerves had successfully integrated with the biosynthetic implant. The regenerated corneas act like healthy, natural ones, even becoming touch-sensitive and producing tears normally.

This study is the first so far to demonstrate that an artificial cornea can successfully be integrated with the eye tissue and produce a regenerative effect. With millions of patients worldwide waiting for a human cornea transplant, the potential of this technological innovation is clearly impressive.

The patients in this clinical trial had advanced keratoconus (conical cornea) or scarring of the central cornea. With further advancements in the biosynthetic material and the surgical implantation technique, Drs. Fagerholm and Griffith hope to establish the effectiveness of biosynthetic corneas for treating a broader range of eye diseases and conditions that usually require a corneal transplant.

To learn more about cornea transplants and other eye surgery procedures, please visit eyes.com or find an ophthalmologist in your area.

Posted in Corneal Transplant, Diseases and Conditions, Eye Surgery, Technology | Comments Off

New Artificial Cornea May Be Viable Alternative to Corneal Transplants

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Washington – Scientists have developed a new type of artificial cornea by inserting a tiny amount of collagen into the eye in order to spur natural corneal cell regrowth. Initial reports indicate that the procedure has successfully restored vision in many of the trial patients.

The first wave of the study was conducted in Sweden. The sample size was very small – only 10 people. Therefore, additional studies evaluating a larger sample size will be required to conclusively determine the effectiveness of the procedure. If successful, this new artificial cornea may become a viable alternative to corneal transplants. In many parts of the world, there is a shortage of donated corneas, necessitating an alternative to meet this demand.

The cornea is a film-like covering of the eye’s surface that is responsible for focusing light on the retina. It is a fragile structure that is easily damaged by injury or infection. Approximately 42,000 people undergo corneal transplants in the United States each year. However, in many other countries, the demand for donor corneas far outweighs the supply.

Researchers are also working on several other alternative treatments such as plastic-like artificial corneas and stem cell treatments which may improve corneal growth. The current treatment being evaluated is considered a bioartificial cornea since it uses the same natural substances found in your cornea (collagen) to promote healing.

To create the bioartificial cornea, researchers molded human collagen grown in yeast into the shape of a contact lens in order to mimic the shape of a natural cornea. The damaged corneal tissue was then removed from patients’ eyes and the bioartificial cornea was implanted in its place. Corneal cells began growing in the collagen, tear production normalized, and corneal nerves began to regrow. None of the patients rejected the artificial cornea; rejection is a common risk with corneal transplants.

After two years, six of the ten patients experienced significantly improved vision with glasses and two patients experienced similar vision to before the procedure.

It is important to note that this technology currently only addresses upper layer corneal problems which comprise approximately 10% of corneal transplant cases. Moving forward, researchers will attempt to develop the technology to address full-thickness corneal damage which impacts the endothelial cells in the lower layer of the cornea.

Posted in Corneal Transplant, Eye Anatomy | Comments Off