The recipient had previously undergone three unsuccessful transplants from human donors
by Hannah Sugars
Doctors at Kaplan Medical Center in Israel have successfully performed the first EndoArt artificial cornea transplant, providing a new hope for patients suffering from severe eye conditions.
Developed by Israeli medical device company EyeYon Medical, the EndoArt implant replaces the function of the cornea’s endothelium without the need for biological tissue donation.
The endothelium acts as a pump and barrier, maintaining the cornea in a slightly dehydrated state – which is essential for it to remain transparent. If the corneal endothelium is damaged, the delicate, non-regenerating layer of cells lining the back of the cornea can no longer perform their essential function, potentially leading to sight loss.
The device represents a global breakthrough in ophthalmology, providing a synthetic and scalable alternative for patients who cannot undergo traditional corneal transplantation.
The groundbreaking procedure was first carried out on a patient with advanced corneal edema, where three previous transplants using human donor corneas had failed.
