Corneal transplants use pre-loaded tissue

Tampa, FL-Cartridges pre-loaded by an eye bank (EndoGlide, Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc.) have been successfully used in corneal transplantation, according to the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research (LEITR).

The cartridges were selected for initial endothelial keratoplasty transplant procedures utilizing donor endothelial tissue that was pre-cut, trephined, and pre-loaded into the device at LEITR in Tampa, FL.

The loaded cartridges were then transported to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, where the procedures were performed by Roberto Pineda II, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

“Tissue preparation and device pre-loading by eye banks not only simplifies the surgery [but] may provide increased reproducible outcomes for endothelial keratoplasty,” said Dr. Pineda.

In a pre-clinical study presented at the 2012 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting, LEITR reported that eye banks are able to prepare and load corneal tissue safely into the cartridges; corneal buttons pre-loaded by LEITR sustained an average of 9.07% endothelial cell damage, compared with 36.2% in control group tissue that was loaded into the insertion system on site, a statistically significant difference (p = 0.004).

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