Improved implant eases surgery

Key Points

Chicago-Results of a preclinical study demonstrate the feasibility of implanting a next-generation (NG) injectable version of a telescope prosthesis for end-stage macular degeneration (Implantable Miniature Telescope, VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies) and suggest it has promising advantages for improving surgical ease and safety, said Guy Kleinmann, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Whereas the IMT has PMMA haptics and a glass optic, the NG device features foldable silicone haptics that allow it to be injected directly into the capsular bag through a smaller incision and using a smaller capsulorhexis.

Reduced trauma

"The experience from this preclinical study shows the NG version may allow reduced trauma to the corneal endothelium, better control during surgery, and less induced astigmatism," Dr. Kleinmann said.

The preclinical study investigating the surgical feasibility and stability of the NG telescope included eight New Zealand White rabbits that underwent removal of the crystalline lens and randomly received the injectable version of the device in one eye and the commercially available IMT in the fellow eye.

Compared with implantation of the available telescope prosthesis, the NG device surgeries were done through a significantly smaller incision (6.5 versus 9.8 mm) that could be closed with significantly fewer sutures (3.75 versus 6.25). The size of the capsulorhexis needed was also significantly smaller in eyes with the NG telescope implanted compared with the parent model (6 versus 7 mm).

In addition, the operative time for implanting the NG telescope was 23% shorter than the procedure for implanting the original IMT device.

"This latter difference was also statistically significant and achieved even though the surgeon, Danny Sachs, MD, was very experienced with implanting the commercially available IMT and was implanting the NG device for the first time in this study," Dr. Kleinmann said.