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Endothelial cell injection therapy may have potential to replace EK procedures
VIENNA — An endothelial cell injection therapy performed on 11 eyes shows promise as a less invasive procedure than either DSAEK or DMEK, according to a speaker here.
Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, shared the injection technique and unpublished results from his clinic in a presentation at the European Society of Ophthalmology meeting.
The procedure takes only about 5 minutes to perform, but requires face-down positioning after the injection for at least 3 hours, Kinoshita said.
The most challenging aspect of the therapy overall is finding a suitable cornea from a young donor around 20 years of age, he said. One of the benefits, however, is that many cells can be cultivated from a single donor cornea.
The procedure is performed with the prepared cells in a 300 µL solution in a syringe with a 25-gauge needle.
Visual acuity in all 11 patients ranged from good to excellent, according to Kinoshita. – by David W. Mullin
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