Synthetic cornea
Israelis have successfully implanted a completely artificial cornea
Israeli doctors performed a successful operation to transplant a completely artificial cornea. The implant CorNeat KPro, developed by the Israeli company CorNeat Vision, consists of a material similar in structure to an extracellular matrix, and is fixed in a pocket between the conjunctiva and the sclera of the eye.
The first owner of CorNeat KPro was a 78-year-old man who lost his sight ten years ago: after a period of rehabilitation, he was able to see people and read the text. Nine more patients are scheduled to undergo surgery in the near future, according to a press release from CorNeat Vision.
In case of loss or severe deterioration of vision as a result of corneal damage (for example, with traumatic or infectious inflammation – keratitis), keratoplasty – transplantation of a donor cornea can help restore it. The operation is relatively simple: there are no blood vessels in the cornea, which greatly facilitates the transplant, and it also takes root quite well. In case of more serious corneal damage, when a conventional transplant does not help, doctors resort to prosthetics: a donor cornea is inserted into the patient's eye on a fixing cap, for example, made of titanium.
In both cases, however, there may be a problem with finding a donor cornea, since it is subject to the same rules as for donor organs (for example, it is possible to take the cornea from the deceased only if he has consented to organ donation). Completely artificial corneas could solve this problem – and one of them was successfully implanted in a patient for the first time this Monday.
CorNeat KPro consists of a porous material that resembles an extracellular matrix in structure, which makes up the main part of the stroma (transparent shell) of the cornea. The material from which the artificial cornea is made is completely synthetic, which is why it takes root much faster, and the transplant does not carry any additional risks like infection.
During the operation, the conjunctiva (the outer shell of the eye) detaches from the sclera (the protein shell), forming a pocket. The patient's cornea is then removed, and threads are placed along its edge and in the sclera, with the help of which an implant is then sewn covering both the cornea (transparent part) and the sclera (white part). After implantation, the conjunctiva is sewn back to the sclera. The whole operation takes about an hour, and the implant takes root during the next week.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru