Tissue pre-loaded by eye bank used to perform corneal transplants

Tampa, FL-For the first time, EndoGlide (Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc.) cartridges pre-loaded by an eye bank have been successfully used in corneal transplantation, the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research (LEITR) announced.

Donor endothelial tissue was pre-cut, trephined, and pre-loaded into the EndoGlide device at the LEITR facility in Tampa, FL. It was then transported to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 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 and may provide increased reproducible outcomes for endothelial keratoplasty,” said Dr. Pineda.