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Patients underwent recover up to 85 percent of vision, double that of a traditional transplant

The medical director of the Hospital General Universitario Reina Sofía, Miguel Santiuste, and the head of department of Ophthalmology, Jaime Miralles, today presented the findings of the new transplant corneal endothelial cells which have already been performed 29 operations since 2007.

For this reason, the Ministry of Health, through the direction of the Reina Sofía Hospital, has asked the Ministry of Health to be a national focal point in this type of transplant and the advantages compared to traditional surgery, which would put health at the head of Murcia in the field of eye operations and the health center would be recommended for all public hospitals in Spain when performing this type of intervention.

One of the most important advantages of this new procedure is that patients recovering from surgery on average 85 percent of their vision, compared with 45 percent of the traditional operation.

Moreover, it is much less traumatic for the patient, as the postoperative period of three months versus two years of traditional transplant.

Similarly, the astigmatism generated by this new intervention is at 0.06 compared to 4.7 diopters diopters that causes traditional intervention.

Faster recovery

Dr. Ramon Gutierrez, who with Amanda Ortiz, are the first doctors to perform this operation, said today that "traditionally tends to replace the entire diseased cornea by a healthy donated by a deceased patient and sutured with 18 or 20 points, a very traumatic operation to the eye, the cornea was weakened and lost some of its transparency and, therefore, part of the vision. "

With this new technique, however, "shall be replaced only the damaged cells by new cells, so that the cornea remains intact and has not lost its transparency and, therefore, neither the patient's vision," said the ophthalmologist.

"So," continued Gutiérrez-donated cornea is laminated with a sophisticated system, insulating layer of cells the patient needs. "

The intervention concludes with the removal of damaged cells and replacing healthy cells.

After an hour of rest, the patient can return home.

Just a week after his vision is usually enough to perform everyday tasks.

Two or three months later, the vision of the cornea is operated as normal and the process can be terminated.

This new technique was discovered and implemented in 2004 by Gerrit Melles and Mark Terry, two ophthalmologists working in the Netherlands and the U.S. respectively.

Source: CARM