A NEW ALLOTRANSPLANT FOR LAMELLAR KERATOPLASTY

The Russian Eye and Plastic Surgery Center has developed a new biomaterial for lamellar keratoplasty of ALLOPLANT series as an alternative material to the native cornea. It is a semitransparent biological material of white colour, 100 and 200 mkm in thickness, of a rounded configuration of 5-9 mm diameter and of a circular configuration for atypical keratoplasty. This Alloplant was used for surgical treatment of leucomas, herpetic keratitis, ulcer, recurrent pterygium, etc. Due to different indications lamellar keratoplasty was performed with therapeutic, barrier and meliorative aim. 175 patients were operated with the use of Alloplant. The Alloplant was gradually replaced with host cornea tissue within 6 months. Cornea transparency in follow-up periods depends on a condition of the recipient s cornea bed. Transparent substitution of the alloplant was observed on transparent bed in 88,8% and on the semitransparent bed in 18,6%. Transparent substitution was not observed on the opaque base. When alloplant was used as a barrier, we found the decrease of the blood vessels growth into cornea in 69% of cases. This surgery was a preparative step for penetrating keratoplasty. This Alloplant has the following advantages: no immune reaction, no problems of donor material harvesting and long-term storage of 5 years and more. All these features allow to recommend this Alloplant for lamellar keratoplasty for common use in clinics.