Dr. Rootman was an integral part of the development of the artificial implant, providing guidance, resources and modification ideas for nearly four years. The device takes less than an hour to implant, doesn't have an expiry date or require special storage and could help reduce the need for donor corneas.
"I think that's [a big] part of the excitement about it," Dr. Rootman says. The implant is now going through an expedited FDA approval and has also been submitted to Health Canada for approval.
There is plenty of excitement around other aspects of cornea transplant too. Dr. Clara Chan, a cornea surgery specialist at the Donald K Johnson Eye Institute and Sprott Department of Surgery, made history when she became the first to perform a deceased donor ocular limbal stem cell transplant in Ontario. (Limbal stem cells are essential to maintain the protective outer layer of the cornea and deficiencies can result in vision loss.) She also transplants stem cells from live donors to help patients with severe corneal scarring.
Although her work is innovative, Dr. Chan notes that not all patients may be good surgical candidates and recovery after such transplants is a lengthy process. Eyes that suffer from limbal stem cell deficiency often are at risk for other ocular complications. Still, she has seen limbal stem cell transplant patients experience life-altering outcomes. One man stopped needing his white cane after years of struggle. Another, a young mother born with limbal stem cell deficiency, can now look after herself and her children independently.
"We try our best to see what ways we can help them," says Dr. Chan.
