Cultivation and characterization of oral mucosal epithelial cells on fibrin gel in a xenobiotic-free medium for the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency.

For the treatment of bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), cell therapy with transplantation of cultivated oral mucosa epithelial cells (COMET) is a promising alternative. Although not yet established, current protocols on the cultivation of oral mucosal epithelial cell (OMECs) sheets are based mainly on substrates and xenobiotic additives that may lead to variable outcomes and undesirable immune responses by the patient. The aim of this study was to characterize OMECs cultivated in xenobiotic-free media (XF) seeded on fibrin gel, in comparison to conventional complex (COM) medium.

Possibilities of Using Corneal Stromal Lenticules Obtained During ReLEx SMILE Refractive Surgery for Transplantation Purposes. A Review.

A corneal stromal lenticule (CSL) is a part of the corneal stroma that forms as a waste product during the refractive surgery ReLEx SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) and is no longer used. With the increasing number of ReLEx SMILE procedures and the number of potentially available CSLs, two main aspects of their usage are currently being investigated. The first aspect includes the biological properties of CSLs and their proper preservation with respect to long-term storage.

Effect of Cryoprotectants on Long-Term Storage of Oral Mucosal Epithelial Cells: Implications for Stem Cell Preservation and Proliferation Status.

In this study, we tested a method for long-term storage of oral mucosal epithelial cells (OMECs) so that the cells could be expanded in vitro after cryopreservation and used for the treatment of bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency. The ability of suspended primary OMECs to proliferate in vitro after cryopreservation was compared to that of OMEC cultures that had undergone the same process. Both were preserved in standard complex medium (COM) with or without cryoprotective agents (CPAs) (gly-cerol at 5 % or 10 % or dimethyl sulphoxide at 10 %).

The Effect of Retinal Tear Location and Internal Tamponade on The Success of Pars Plana Vitrectomy in Patients with Uncomplicated Retinal Detachment.

Aim:  Retinal detachment is an acute sight-threatening condition that requires immediate surgical intervention. The aim of this study is to compare the outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) between the different types of gases used, the position, and the number of tears.

Material And Methods:  This is a retrospective non-randomized comparative study of patients with uncomplicated RRD treated at the Department of Ophthalmology from March 2018 to April 2021 using PPV.

Optimizing Corneal Transplant Safety: The Impact of Mandatory Prion Protein Testing on Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Prevention in the Czech Republic.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of legally mandated testing for pathogenic prion proteins in corneal tissue donors in the Czech Republic, considering its impact on safety, financial, and temporal costs.

Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2023, standardized brain regions were collected from all corneal tissue donors in the Czech Republic. Tissue samples were tested for the presence of pathogenic prion proteins by the Czech Reference Laboratory for Human Prion Diseases.

A review of Bowman's layer structure, function, and transplantation.

Bowman's layer is an acellular corneal structure, which is considered to be a specially modified anterior stroma. It is presumed, that it forms as a result of ongoing epithelial-stromal interactions and no clear physiological purpose has been proven. Despite this fact, Bowman's layer has found its place in corneal transplantation.

Scleral Grafts in Ophthalmic Surgery. A Review.

Aim: To summarize the history and current trends in the use of scleral grafts in ophthalmology.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a review of the literature through the MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases. The search terms were "sclera", "graft", and "surgery".

Electrospun poly(l-lactide--dl-lactide) nanofibrous scaffold as substrate for limbal epithelial cell cultivation.

Ultrathin electrospun poly (l-lactide--dl-lactide) nanofibrous membranes coated with fibronectin were explored as scaffolds for the cultivation of limbal epithelial cells (LECs) for the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency. The developed scaffolds were compared with the "gold-standard" fibrin gel. The resulting membranes composed of nanofibers possessed a very low thickness of 4 μm and allowed very good optical transparency in the wet state.

Novel Biomaterials in Glaucoma Treatment.

Glaucoma is a significant cause of blindness worldwide, and its treatment remains challenging. The disease progressively leads to damage to the optic disc and thus loss of visual acuity and visual field. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is a common risk factor.

Chemical, Physical, and Biological Corneal Decellularization Methods: A Review of Literature.

The cornea is one of the most commonly transplanted tissues worldwide. It is used to restore vision when severe visual impairment or blindness occurs in patients with corneal diseases or after trauma. Due to the global shortage of healthy donor corneas, decellularized corneal tissue has significant potential as an alternative to corneal transplantation.

The Efficacy of Fibrin Sealant in Sutureless Deep Sclerectomy-Preliminary Outcomes.

Prcis: Deep sclerectomy (DS) with fibrin adhesive can constitute a safe alternative to the classic procedure using sutures, providing nonallergenic, nontoxic, and secure adhesion with no sign of aqueous humor outflow obstruction postoperatively.

Objective: To evaluate short and medium-term postoperative results of DS with a fibrin sealant.

Patients And Methods: This prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series involves 12 eyes of 12 patients with uncontrolled open angle glaucoma who underwent DS with Esnoper (Clip or V2000) implant between February 2021 and March 2022.

The new future perspective in corneal tissue utilisation - methods of preparation and preservation.

Purpose: The goal of our study is to find an optimal approach to the preparation and preservation of corneal stromal tissue. We want to compare different methods of corneal stromal tissue creation and storage to optimize the efficacy of this process under the conditions of an eye bank. After we find the most suitable method to create a safe high quality product, we want to prove the possibility of using a single donor cornea for more than one patient.

Refractive Outcome After Corneal Lenticule Implantation Ex Vivo Non-Human Study.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in corneal refractive parameters after implantation of a stromal lenticule of different thickness. We assume that the refractive outcome depends on the optical power of the used lenticule.

Methods: We conducted an ex-vivo non-human study on 33 normotonic porcine eyeballs divided into two groups, for 4D and 8D human lenticule implantation.

Primary Posterior Continuous Circular Capsulorhexis without the Use of Ophthalmic Viscosurgical Device.

Performing primary posterior capsulorhexis (PPCCC) during cataract surgery is an effective prevention of secondary cataracts. It is important not to damage the anterior vitreous membrane to minimize the possible complications and adverse side effects of this step of the surgery. Most authors use a viscoelastic material to protect the anterior vitreous membrane, injected into the space between the posterior lens capsule and the vitreous membrane through a small hole in the posterior capsule.

Corneal stromal lenticule transplantation for the treatment of corneal ulcers.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of using corneal stromal lenticules (CSLs) obtained during refractive surgery Refractive Lenticule Extraction (ReLEx) with the Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) procedure for the treatment of corneal ulcers.

Methods: This retrospective study included 12 eyes of 12 patients, 7 men and 5 women with varying degrees of corneal ulcer. The mean age was 64 ± 18 (range 34 to 95 years).

Effect of the position of the corneal lamella on the frequency of its detachment.

Aim: To determine the influence of gaps [places where neither the donor's nor the recipient's Descemet's membrane (DM) is present] and overlaps (places where the recipient's DM is covered by the donor's DM) on the frequency of postoperative detachment of DM endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) lamellae.

Methods: Totally 64 eyes of 64 patients with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy or bullous keratopathy indicated for DMEK were randomly divided in two groups. The diameter of the implanted DMEK lamella was the same in both groups (8 mm), but we changed the diameter of the removed recipient DM.

Efficacy and Safety of Deep Sclerectomy With the Esnoper Clip Implant for Uncontrolled Primary Open Angle Glaucoma: A 1 Year Prospective Study.

Prcis: Deep sclerectomy (DS) with the Esnoper Clip drainage implant in patients with uncontrolled primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) achieved a complete success rate of 87.2% at the 1-year follow-up.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of DS followed by Esnoper Clip implantation in patients with uncontrolled POAG.

Interleukin-13 increases the stemness of limbal epithelial stem cells cultures.

This study aimed to determine the effect of interleukin-13 (IL13) on the stemness, differentiation, proliferation, clonogenicity, and morphology of cultured limbal epithelial cells (LECs). Human limbal explants were used to culture LECs up to the second passage (P0-P2) with or without IL13 (IL13+ and IL13-, respectively). Cells were analyzed by qPCR (for the expression of ΔNp63α, BMI-1, keratin (K) 3, K7, K12, K14, K17, mucin 4, and MKI67) and immunofluorescence staining for p63α.

TOPIRAMATE-INDUCED BILATERAL ANGLE-CLOSURE GLAUCOMA. A CASE REPORT.

Introduction: Topamax (topiramate) is a drug used in the treatment of epilepsy or migraine. Its use may rarely be associated with the occurrence of secondary angle-closure glaucoma due to supraciliary effusion. Although the ocular finding resembles primary angle-closure glaucoma, bilateral infliction should always raise the suspicion that it is drug-induced glaucoma.

CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES IN CATARACT SURGERY - SUBJECTIVE PREFERENCES OF CZECH CATARACT SURGEONS.

Aims: The aim of the work was to find out the current subjective preferences of Czech cataract surgeons in terms of individual procedures, techniques and materials used during cataract surgery.

Material And Methods: This study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire (online, a total of 44 questions). The survey respondents were members of the Czech Society of Refractive and Cataract Surgery.

ARTIFICIAL COSMETIC IRIS - POTENTIAL RISK OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. A CASE REPORT.

In this paper, the authors present a case report of a 46-year-old patient with decompensated pigmentary glaucoma and anterior uveitis after unilateral implantation of a BrightOcular artificial cosmetic iris (Stellar Devices, New York, USA). Postoperatively, there was a decrease of endothelial cells (ECD) down to 1216 cells/mm2, a uveal reaction in the anterior chamber and a significant decompensation of intraocular pressure (IOP). During the first examination at our clinic, the explantation of the artificial cosmetic iris was indicated.

RESULTS OF POSTERIOR LAMELLAR KERATOPLASTIES IN PHAKIC EYES.

Purpose: To evaluate the results of posterior lamellar keratoplasties (DMEK and PDEK) in phakic eyes.

Material And Methods: Retrospective analysis of surgeries performed in our department between June 2016 and December 2019. The main focus was put on postoperative visual acuity, corneal endothelial cell density and possible peroperative and postoperative complications including cataract formation.

INTRAOPERATIVE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY -AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES AND POSSIBILITIES OF USE. A REVIEW.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact and non-invasive imaging and diagnostic method, that allows the imaging of ocular tissues on transverse sections in extremely high quality of micrometer resolution. The physical principle of OCT is analogous to ultrasound, but it uses infrared radiation instead of acoustic waves. By using a low coherent radiation source, it is possible to achieve a higher resolution.

Preservation of corneal stromal lenticule: review.

Corneal stromal lenticule is a part of corneal stroma, which can be created by manual dissection, by femtosecond laser from the donor cornea, but chiefly it is a waste product of a refractive procedure ReLex SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction). Corneal lenticule has a huge potential in corneal surgery. In recent years, many studies have been published to show the possibility to use this tissue to treat corneal defects, as well as in refractive surgery.