The optical modalities presently used for the correction of high refractive errors of the eye, especially aphakia, include spectacles, contact lenses, and intraocular lenses, but for many patients, these methods are unsatisfactory. The techniques of refractive keratoplasty (keratophakia and hypermetropic keratomileusis), developed by Dr. Jose Barraquer, appear as promising adjuncts to our armamentarium for the correction of aphakic ametropia. There have been, however, no controlled animal studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of these procedures or their effects upon the eye. The literature supports the conclusion that corneal tissue can be frozen with maintenance of cellular viability, whereas the Barraquer techniques do not accomplish this. This proposal outlines controlled animal studies, using the cat, which must be performed before these procedures gain wide clinical acceptance. The studies include: (1) the development of a new cryopreservation protocol which will maintain corneal viability, (2) a detailed evaluation of the barraquer refractive keratoplasty equipment for safety and adequacy, (3) a complete clinical and histologic evaluation of keratophakia, hypermetropic keratomileusis, and (4) a controlled alternate series comparing the clinical characteristics and histologic effects upon the cornea of keratophakia performed with the Barraquer protocol and the new protocol developed in this proposal. These studies will provide data which will allow decisions to be made concerning future clinical studies on primates or humans.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter