Corneal grafts improve thanks to laser technology
Dr. Isabelle Brunette will fine-tune the method over the next five years
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Isabelle Brunet |
In 2001, 2600 corneal grafts were performed in Canada. The number of procedures doubled over the previous decade largely due to the aging population. In 42% of cases, these grafts are the result of endothelial disease.
“The corneal endothelium is the inner layer which covers the pupil and iris,” explains Isabelle Brunette, professor at the Department of Ophthalmology. “Endothelial diseases which require a corneal graft can result from either endothelial dystrophies or complications following cataract surgery.”
Dr. Brunette of the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital has recently been awarded the Charles-Albert-Poissant corneal transplant research chair of the Université de Montréal. Over the next five years, Dr. Brunette will receive $500,000 to study corneal transplants using laser technology.
Corneal grafts have significantly evolved in recent years. It is now possible to transplant solely the inner layer of the cornea, which includes the epithelium, a procedure considered impossible not so long ago. Previously, the entire cornea had to be transplanted which involved several sutures that risked affecting the natural curve of the cornea.
Currently, ophthalmologists can use a femtosecond laser with a speed of 10-15 seconds. “With this laser we can remove the endothelium without even touching the exterior layer of the cornea. Therefore, no sutures, no distortions, and the structure of the eye is preserved,” explains Dr. Brunette. In addition, patients fully recover in a matter of weeks.
The laser technology is in constant evolution. Dr. Brunette’s research chair will focus on improving the cutting of the endothelium, improving the cutting of a cornea swelled with water, and improving the cutting from a donor to improve the quality of the graft.
