A NEW METHOD OF GRAFT FORMATION FOR ENDOTHELIAL KERATOPLASTY

Abstract

Purpose of the work - to establish under experiment the possibility of forming an endograft to perform automated posterior lamellar keratoplasty.Experimental work was performed on 8 intact porcine eye-balls. Intraocular pressure (IOP) at 50 mmHg (n=4, № 1-4) was reproduced in the first series of experiments, at 60 mmHg. (n=4, №5-8) in the second.Histological examination of the porcine cornea was performed after dessection by the PocketMaker microkeratome. (Austria).The possibility of forming a corneal transplant of minimal thickness for performing endothelial keratoplasty using the proposed microkeratome “PocketMaker» is experimentally justified. It is possible to produce a graft by performing 2-3 serial sections considering the peculiarities of the cornea thickness of the porcine eye (average 1338±88 microns) and controlled intraocular pressure 50 - 60 mm Hg. Advantages of a new corneal graft formation method: working on an intact eye -ball, the possibility of the front corneal flatenning and the formation of an even cut to obtain a symmetrical profile of the stromal bed repeating the corneal curvature. The quality of the graft is confirmed by OCT results and histodiagnosis.The possibility of using the "PocketMaker" microkeratome for the automated posterior lamellar keratoplasty is experimentally justified. These histological studies indicate the high quality of the graft, which allows us to recommend this formation method in clinical practice.