The Lab’s biggest project has been the randomized control trial comparing two methods of cornea tissue insertion for the operating procedure known as DSAEK. The Lab is comparing a new device called the Neusidl Corneal Inserter (NCI) to the standard forceps technique, which has proven to have very favorable outcomes. There are several similar devices currently under development, but little clinical research has been done to prove the safety of any of them. The Research Lab is randomly assigning 95 patients to the various surgical techniques and will be comparing the cell density after `1 and 2 years, as well as rates of intra-eye and post-operative complications.

The Lab is also devoting a great deal of time to perfecting their technique of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). The latest iteration of EK surgery, it provides pure endothelial replacement (only the necessary part that needs replacement) without any excess tissue from a donor’s cornea added to the recipients eye. Clinical reports from the first series show quicker recovery and superior visual acuity compared to the original DSAEK type of surgery. Dr. Neda Shamie has performed two successful DMEK operations with superb results. Her tireless efforts in the LEBO laboratory over the past six months have paid off with impeccable results.

A question has recently been posed in the EK world around the question: do thinner grafts provide better post-operative vision. The reports have been mixed. Some surgeons have begun requesting that their eye banks provide "ultra-thin" tissues. Our Lab is reviewing our database and conducting in depth analyses of hundreds of profile images to show that our data doe not support the thinner-is-better hypothesis. We have presented this work in many talks, and Dr. Naveen Rao, a resident from Casey Eye Institute, is currently working on a paper that will report our Lab’s conclusions.