Microscope Solutions for Cornea Surgery

Corneal diseases are the third leading cause of blindness wordwide1. They can be congenital or caused by injury, trauma, infection or allergy, resulting in loss of transparency and opacities. According to the World Health Organization, 4.2 million people globally are affected by corneal opacities2.

Some corneal opacities can be treated with eye drops and medication. However, when the opacities are too thick and the cornea severely damaged, corneal surgery may be necessary to restore vision. A corneal transplant is performed to replace the damaged part of the cornea with healthy corneal tissue from a donor. Each year, approximately 185,000 corneal transplants are performed in 116 countries3.

Need Assistance?

Contact a local imaging specialist for expert advice on the right Microscope Solutions for Cornea Surgery for your needs and budget.

Cornea Surgery Procedures

There are three main corneal transplant surgical methods: penetrating keratoplasty (PK); endothelial keratoplasty (EK) including Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK); and anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) which can be superficial (SALK) or deep (DALK).

Corneal transplants are highly specialized procedures, requiring advanced surgical skills and experience to avoid complications and graft failure. The use of a cornea microscope helps surgeons achieve optimal visualization to operate in the best conditions.

Cornea Surgery Challenges

Cornea surgery has evolved considerably in recent years, with corneal lamellar procedures largely replacing penetrating keratoplasty. Tissue grafts also tend to be thinner and thinner to achieve better visual acuity and lower the risk of rejection4.

Some of the biggest challenges for corneal surgeons include:

  • Visualizing clearly the full anterior chamber, Descemet membrane peeling and endothelium
  • Measuring how deep to cut the corneal stroma and quantifying the incision depth 
  • Avoiding damage to the donor tissue
  • Achieving correct unfolding of the graft within the anterior chamber
  • Ensuring correct orientation and graft positioning
  • Confirming complete graft attachment without folds or liquid

Key Features of Leica Microscope Solutions for Cornea Surgery

Powerful illumination

Benefit from homogenous light distribution and optimal light transmission for graft preparation and transplant management.

Launch pictures for EnFocus built-into Proveo 8

Real-time insights

Obtain real-time intraoperative confirmation of how tissue reacts to surgical maneuvers to achieve optimal graft orientation and positioning.

Exact measurements

Leverage intraoperative OCT for measurements of corneal thickness, depth of the inserted cannula during air injection and trephination depth.


In this video, see how high-resolution intraoperative OCT can enhance visualization during DMEK surgery with real-time, cross-sectional imaging of subsurface details.

Cornea Microscope Solutions: DMEK surgery with EnFocus intraoperative OCT

During DMEK surgery, accurate donor membrane positioning and full adherence to the stroma are crucial to patient outcomes. EnFocus intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography can reveal more information to support each stage of the procedure.

Corneal Perforation and Trauma Repair Procedures

Corneal perforations can be challenging to manage, even for seasoned corneal surgeons. Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography can provide useful insights for ocular perforation and trauma procedures. It can help assess the anatomy and extent of the damage, and support repair.

Frequently Asked Questions Cornea Surgery

Show answer How does cornea transplant work?

A cornea transplant is an operation to replace damaged corneal tissue with healthy corneal tissue from a donor.

Show answer What are the alternatives to a cornea transplant?

Cornea transplant is the current standard treatment for corneal blindness.

Show answer How successful is cornea surgery?

The majority of cornea surgery operations are successful. However, rejection occurs in about 10% of cornea transplants5. There may also be complications during surgery.

Show answer Can you fix a damaged cornea?

Many corneal conditions can be treated effectively with corrective lenses, eye drops or medication. However, if damage is too important, a corneal transplant may be required.

Show answer What solution is used to preserve corneas?

After obtention of the corneal tissue from the donor, the cornea is placed in a storage medium to keep the tissue viable.

Related Articles

Read our latest articles about Cornea Surgery

The knowledge portal of Leica Microsystems offers scientific research and teaching material on the subjects of microscopy. The content is designed to support beginners, experienced practitioners and scientists alike in their everyday work and experiments.

More Articles
The intraoperative OCT showed the ellipsoid had separated from the inner retina with focal attachment to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Images provided by Mr. Robert Henderson

Utility of Intraoperative OCT in Sub-Retinal Gene Therapy

Discover a case study on the use of intraoperative OCT for pediatric gene therapy and how it supports bleb placement and verifying the foveal contour.
Diffuse retinal degeneration with relative macular sparing.

Ophthalmic Gene Therapy Subretinal Injection

Case study on the use of intraoperative OCT for Leber congenital amaurosis macular repair and ophthalmic gene therapy subretinal injection.
Dr. Tawfik with the Proveo 8 surgical microscope.

Dr. Tawfik Shares his Expert View on Direct Horizontal Chopping in Cataract Surgery

It is estimated that nearly 28 million cataract surgery procedures are performed worldwide every year. Phacoemulsification is the most common method used to remove the cataract and chopping maneuvers…

How to Select a Microscope for Cataract Surgery

What to consider in the selection of an ophthalmic microscope for cataract procedures. Bearing these aspects in mind will equip surgeons well for talks with manufacturer representatives. Many…

Improved Visualization of the Anterior Chamber Angle with Proveo 8

In this interview, Michael G. Richie, MD offers his expert opinion on the Proveo 8 from Leica Microsystems as a means for outstanding visualization of the anterior chamber during MIGS. He describes…

Intraoperative OCT as a Tool to Treat Diabetic Patients

In this interview, Asheesh Tewari, MD, details his experience with Proveo 8 with EnFocus Intraoperative OCT from Leica Microsystems. He finds it a powerful tool in treating his diabetic patients.…

How to use a Surgical Microscope as an Operating Room Nurse

Surgical microscopes play an essential role in the modern microsurgery procedures. It provides the surgeon, assistant and operating room staff with a magnified and illuminated high-quality image of…

Clinical Symposium on OCT-guided Cornea Surgery

In this recording Prof. Mehta from Singapore National Eye Centre and Prof. Fontana from Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Regio Emilia, Italy, share their expertise on corneal surgery. They present PK,…

Towards Advanced Use of Intraoperative OCT in Cataract Surgery

In this White Paper, Dr. Rachid Tahiri shares his personal experience with the Leica EnFocus intraoperative OCT, the valuable features supporting smooth surgery and how it allows him to minimize…

Cataract Incision Analysis Using EnFocus Intraoperative OCT

Ophthalmic surgery requires high levels of accuracy and precision for optimal surgical maneuvers and tissue manipulation. Surgical microscopes play an essential role in helping ophthalmic surgeons…

Interested to know more?

Talk to our experts. We are happy to answer all your questions and concerns.

Contact Us

Do you prefer personal consulting? Show local contacts

References

  1. Chaurasia SS, Lim RR, Lakshminarayanan R, Mohan RR. Nanomedicine approaches for corneal diseases. J Funct Biomater. 2015 Apr 30;6(2):277-98. doi: 10.3390/jfb6020277. PMID: 25941990; PMCID: PMC4493512.

  2. World Health Organization, Word Report on Vision, October 2019. Accessed on March 27th, 2023, at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516570 

  3. American Academy of Opthalmology, Eye Wiki, Corneal Donations, February 2023. Accessed on March 9th, 2023, at: https://eyewiki.aao.org/Corneal_Donation 

  4. Review of Ophthalmology, Innovations in Corneal Transplants, February 2020. Accessed on March 9th, 2023, at: https://www.reviewofophthalmology.com/article/innovations-in-corneal-transplants 

  5. Mayo Clinic, Cornea Transplant. Accessed on March 9th, 2023, at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cornea-transplant/about/pac-20385285 

Scroll to top