View clinical trials related to Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy.
Filter by:This pilot study will compare upto 15 patients undergoing femtolaser assisted keratoplasty (using CE[Conformité Européene] approved femtolaser apparatus) with upto 15 patients undergoing conventional keratoplasty with a manual trephine. Patients will be randomly assigned to either group. All keratoplasties will be penetrating keratoplasties. The following aims of this research is detailed below: 1. Does femtosecond laser assisted keratoplasty ( FLAK ) yield faster visual recovery and better long term BCVA (Best Corrected Visual Acuity)? 2. Does FLAK offer a biomechanically stronger cornea and thereby more safety and less risk of wound dehiscence? 3. Is there any difference between FLAK and conventional keratoplasty in terms of graft failure or rejection? Follow up in best corrected visual acuity, various refraction/astigmatism measurements, intraocular pressure, graft rejection/failure rates, pachymetry and corneal hysteresis and resistance factor will be recorded at 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months and 1 year and 18 months postoperatively. This study, to the investigators' knowledge will be the first randomised controlled trial in this area, the first to provide an empirical measurement to biomechanical stability of the cornea with the femtolaser, and the first done in an NHS (National Health Service) setting.
The cornea forms our "window to the world". Hence, its transparency is of utmost importance for vision. Corneal endothelium plays a central role in the maintenance of a transparent corneal stroma. It limits stromal fluid uptake from the anterior chamber of the eye through the formation of tight junctions. Simultaneously, fluid is actively transported from corneal stroma into the anterior chamber. This maintains the corneal stroma in a state of relative dehydration, thereby ensuring a constant distance of stromal collagen lamellae to each other, which in turn forms the basis for transparency of this tissue. If however corneal endothelial function is impaired, stromal swelling leads to corneal clouding and loss of vision. Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy represents the most common form of corneal dystrophy. It occurs sporadically, however in some cases autosomal dominant inheritance has been described. This condition leads to progressive loss of corneal endothelium (typically around the age of 50-60 years), causing visual impairment due to swelling and opacification of corneal stroma. Cell culture experiments have been able to show that chemical inhibitors of Rho-Kinase promote corneal endothelial cell proliferation and reduce apoptosis, while topical application in an animal model promoted corneal endothelial wound healing. This has prompted the notion of using topical Rho-kinase-inhibitor treatment to support endothelial cell regeneration in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Since September 2014, Rho-kinase-inhibitor eye drops (ripasudil) are clinically available in Japan for reduction of intraocular pressure in Glaucoma patients. Ripasudil eye drops therefore represent a strong candidate for safe and effective adjunctive treatment in patients with Fuchs corneal endothelial cell dystrophy.
This blinded, randomized study compares the use of air and sulfur hexaflouride (SF6) tamponade in Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty.
Fuchs Endothelial Dystrophy (FED) is a degenerative disease affecting the corneal endothelium. The current gold-standard for treatment of severe FED is endothelial keratoplasty, wherein a cadaveric Descemet's membrane / endothelium graft is transplanted. In this study, the investigators hypothesized that the transplantation of an acellular Descemet's membrane (i.e. Descemet Membrane Transplantation, 'DMT') may be equally efficacious in promoting recovery of endothelial function in this group of patients.
In brief, the objective of this study is to investigate whether the drug Glanatec ® which is approved in Japan for glaucoma and ocular hypertension, can be used in patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy who have had a descemet stripping procedure without endothelial keratoplasty. While some limited data exists as a proof of concept in in vitro or animal studies, and Glanatec® has been successfully used in a recently published case series for this indication, there is insufficient data to show that this drug can be effectively used for corneal cell clearing while maintaining patient safety. The goal of the study is to provide sufficient proof of concept for the use of this drug in patients with FED whose only treatment alternative is to undergo corneal transplant.
Cornea transplant recipients who are using topical corticosteroids long-term to prevent transplant rejection will be randomized to use netarsudil or placebo.
The follow up time after keratoplasty now routinely exceeds multiple decades. It is common for keratoplasty patients to also undergo cataract surgery at a later date in their lives. Keratoplasties and cataract surgery both result in local inflammation. This may influence the density of endothelial cells, and on average there is a loss of 10% in endothelial cells within 3 months of the cataract surgery. Yet, a sufficient density of endothelial cells is required to maintain graft transparency. It may be therefore difficult to strike a balance between loss of visual acuity due to the cataract of to the loss of graft transparency over the long term. The investigators aim to compare graft survival in patients with clear crystalline lens with and without cataract surgery.
Corneal transplantation have been performed for several decades, follow-up time in some centers now exceeds 30 years. Published long term (10 years and up) graft survivals vary considerably from center to center. These variations may be explained by differences in case-mix and surgical techniques used. The investigators aim to better understand the factors associated with long term graft survival.
Immune rejection episodes after penetrating keratoplasty occur in 30% of patients and constitute one of the main factors reducing graft survival. They mainly occur during the first 18 months. Prevention usually relies on a topical treatment with dexamethasone or prednisolone for standard risk patients. Eye drops are instilled three times a day during at least 3 months then tapered. OZURDEX is an absorbable small implant that releases a total of 700 micrograms dexamethasone during several months. It is indicated for intravitreal injection to treat macular edema. The investigators hypothesized that this implant could be used after subconjunctival injection during corneal graft, to prevent immune rejection and avoid repeated eyedrop instillations.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether corneal transplantation by Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty more favourable and cost-effective is compared to Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty for Fuchs Endothelium Corneal Dystrophy.