Eye Bank Prepares to Offer Tissue for New Type of Corneal Transplantation Surgery
Corneal transplantation techniques have changed drastically since the first surgery conducted in 1904 by Dr. Eduard Zirm in Austria. Today, in our modern age of transplant surgery and eye banking, the nation’s top corneal surgeons are exploring a new technique called Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty, or DSAEK for short. Seeing the immediate need for corneal tissue prepared for this type of transplant surgery, the Eye Bank has taken steps to begin offering tissue to surgeons especially for DSAEK.

DSAEK is commonly referred to as a “partial thickness” corneal transplant. Traditionally, surgeons have removed the full thickness of the patient’s cornea and replaced it with a whole donor cornea, held in place by fine sutures. However, in the DSAEK procedure, the surgeon carefully removes a thin section of the posterior cornea rather than the whole cornea. The surgeon then replaces the removed area with a similar section from the back part of the donor cornea. Another main benefit of the DSAEK procedure is that there are very few, and often times no sutures needed to keep the donor tissue in place. Overall, this type of transplant surgery results in both decreased healing time and incidence of infection.

In order to support this ground-breaking technique in corneal transplantation, the Eye Bank is working to provide corneal tissue that is “pre-cut” for the DSAEK procedure for surgeons who request this service. In August the Eye Bank purchased a special piece of equipment called a Moria microkeratome that will allow our technicians to cut a very thin strip of corneal cells for transplant. The microkeratome was purchased in part with funds from a 2005 bequest to the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation from the Bessie Richmond Trust.

During the upcoming months, a small group of Eye Bank employees will go through specialized training to learn how to use the microkeratome and prepare tissue for transplant under the new procedure’s guidelines. Several staff members had the unique opportunity to participate in Dr. Francis Price’s Advance Cornea Course for Ophthalmologists to learn more about the DSAEK procedure. Eye Bank staff received hands-on training from a leader in the field that will aid in using the new microkeratome. Additionally, HLEB will be working closely with both the Iowa Lions Eye Bank and North Carolina Eye Bank for further training and development of our technical procedure.

The Eye Bank looks forward to working with its partners in sight restoration to find new and innovative ways to fight blindness and provide the “gift of sight.”