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". The search resulted in 1596 articles, of which we evaluated 192 as relevant. The relevant articles were sorted chronologically and according to the method of using scleral grafts, which enabled the development of a review article. RESULTS: The sclera has been routinely used in ophthalmology since the 1950s in many different indications. Some of these indications have become practically obsolete over time (for example, use in the surgical management of retinal detachment), but a large number still find application today (especially use in glaucoma or oculoplastic surgery, or as a patch for a defect in the sclera or cornea). CONCLUSION: Even though allogeneic sclera is currently used less frequently in ophthalmology compared to other tissue banking products and the range of its indications has partially narrowed, it remains a useful material due to its availability and properties.

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. It preserves the native and biological ultrastructure of the cornea and, therefore, represents the most promising scaffold. This article discusses different methods of corneal decellularization based on the current literature. We searched PubMed.gov for articles from January 2009 to December 2023 using the following keywords: corneal decellularization, decellularization methods, and corneal transplantation. Although several methods of decellularization of corneal tissue have been reported, a universal standardised protocol of corneal decellularization has not yet been introduced. In general, a combination of decellularization methods has been used for efficient decellularization while preserving the optimal properties of the corneal tissue.

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". The search resulted in 1596 articles, of which we evaluated 192 as relevant. The relevant articles were sorted chronologically and according to the method of using scleral grafts, which enabled the development of a review article. RESULTS: The sclera has been routinely used in ophthalmology since the 1950s in many different indications. Some of these indications have become practically obsolete over time (for example, use in the surgical management of retinal detachment), but a large number still find application today (especially use in glaucoma or oculoplastic surgery, or as a patch for a defect in the sclera or cornea). CONCLUSION: Even though allogeneic sclera is currently used less frequently in ophthalmology compared to other tissue banking products and the range of its indications has partially narrowed, it remains a useful material due to its availability and properties.

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. Thanks to the quantity of lenticules which arise every day during SMILE operations, this tissue is much more accessible than any other kind of corneal tissue. According to the experience with lenticule implantation in animal models, or even human patients, lenticule implantation is considered safe, reversible method, which is not associated with immune rejection or other severe complications. However, the crucial step before the process of lenticule implantation, is proper preservation of this tissue. Donor corneal tissue containing endothelium is usually preserved in hypothermia and then usable maximally for two weeks. Newer methods such as organ culture storage and use of a sterile cornea prolong the time of usability of the tissue. The possibilities for corneal lenticule storage are theoretically wider thanks to the fact, that we do not need to preserve fragile cellular structures. Besides the storage in hypothermia, other preserving methods such as cryopreservation and storage after decellularization have been tested. This review aimed to examine the current literature that describes possible methods of corneal lenticule preservation. A comprehensive search was created based on articles published in English on PubMed.gov, Cochranelibrary.com and Scopus.com using following keywords: corneal lenticule preservation, corneal lenticule storage, cold storage corneal lenticule, corneal lenticule cryopreservation till 2020.