Successful experimental epikeratophakia grafting was done with the use of a biological adhesive. The use of an adhesive eliminated the need for any suturing of the corneal lenticule to the host cornea, and this method reduced the length of the operative procedure to only one third of the time that is taken when sutures are used. Tisseel (Immuno AG, Vienna), a commercially available two-componen...

BACKGROUND/AIMS To preliminarily evaluate the repeatability of central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements performed with Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography (AS-OCT) on eye bank posterior corneal lenticules. METHODS Six donor lenticules were created with a 350 μm head microkeratome (Moria, Antony, France). All donor tissues were stored at 4°C in Eusol-C solution (Alchimia S.r.l, P...

A novel approach for applanation-free femtosecond refractive surgery with the help of a contact liquid layer is presented. A laboratory device for performing corneal procedures is described based on a femtosecond-laser system which has been tested and evaluated by processing ex vivo pig eyes. With its help, flap cuttings for different flap thicknesses were performed. The accomplished corneal su...

BACKGROUND To evaluate the 5-year results of Refractive Lenticule Extraction (ReLEx) as Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) technique for treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism. METHODS In 2008/2009, the worldwide first 91 eyes were treated using a novel surgical technique (SMILE), where a refractive lenticule of intrastromal corneal tissue is removed though a small incision compl...

High water content hydrogels can be made with water and solute permeabilities comparable to those of the corneal stroma, thus making them feasible as intrastromal implants for refractive keratoplasty. The materials have been shown to be compatible with the cornea tissue, but for a lenticule of hydrogel to be effective in a refractive keratoplasty procedure it must alter the anterior curvature o...

Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) becomes a procedure to correct myopia. The extracted lenticule can be used for other clinical scenarios. To prepare for allogeneic implantation, lenticule decellularization with preserved optical property, stromal architecture and chemistry would be necessary. We evaluated different methods to decellularize thin human corneal stromal lenticules create...

Purpose: To compare the visual and refractive outcomes of ReLEx® SMILE with interface wash in one eye with no wash of interface in the other eye of the patient following removal of lenticule for myopic correction. Design: Prospective, non-randomised, clinical study. Methods: All patient included in the study (n = 40 eyes) undergoing ReLEx® SMILE were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 20 eyes)...

PURPOSE To report the mid-term outcomes of graft suturing in a patient with lenticule dislocation after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). CASE REPORT A 78-year old woman was found to have graft dislocation involving the nasal half of the cornea after uneventful DSAEK. Graft repositioning, refilling the anterior chamber with air, and placement of four full-thicknes...

Purpose: To evaluate ultrastructural characteristics of lenticule surface extracted during correction residual myopia in patients after small-incision extraction (SMILE). Methods and material: This study had a prospective, consecutive, comparative design. Sixteen (16 eyes) underwent additional intervention for SMILE. 16 specimens removed lenticules morphological examination. Markers reagents we...