[amdavadis4ever] British eye surgeon will carry out the country's first transplant using an artificial cornea

 

British eye surgeon will carry out the country's first transplant using an artificial cornea Sheraz Daya says he plans to conduct the first operation within a year Transplants cure blindness and sight damaged by diseases or accidents Expects to treat up to a dozen patients in UK trial once he gains approval By Ben Tufft For Mailonline Top British eye surgeon Sheraz Daya (pictured) is planning to perform the UK's first transplant using an artificial cornea A top British eye surgeon is planning to perform the UK's first transplant using an artificial cornea. Sheraz Daya has said he will carry out the complex operation within a year - pending approval from British and EU authorities.  The artificial cornea will be made from lab-grown collagen, tissue that is naturally found in the human body. Damaged and scarred tissue - which causes loss of eyesight and blindness - is removed as part of the procedure and the 'biosynthetic' replacement is then stitched in its place. Following the operation eye nerves and cells grow over the implanted cornea, incorporating it into the eye. Trials at a university in Sweden have shown the method is just as successful as transplanting a natural cornea.  Mr Daya, who works at the Centre for Sight, a private clinic in East Grinstead, West Sussex, expects to treat up to a dozen patients in a UK trial once approval is granted by the relevant ethics committees. There is growing pressure on eye banks in this country to treat increasing levels of eye disease as well as accident victims.  Last year, according to the UK transplant registry, there was an 11 per cent drop in the number of eyes being donated and a three per cent drop in cornea transplants. A survey for the charity Fight for Sight found people were 15 per cent less likely to donate eyes than other body parts or organs.  UK Blood and Transplant, which supplies most of corneas used in more than 3,700 transplants a year says there is a delay in people getting corneas as it struggles to meet demand. Mr Daya, an eye surgeon for more than 30 years, is medical director of Cornea Biosciences the company that makes the artificial cornea.  Limited successful human trials stopped in 2010 but now the firm is planning to commercialise the discovery.  He said: 'The artificial cornea has several advantages. There is no rejection as in human cornea grafts, no risk of disease transmission.'  The artificial cornea will be made from lab-grown collagen, tissue that is naturally found in the human body Another major plus is that the artificial cornea has a six months shelf life compared to just one month for a human cornea.  Mr Daya claimed said that many patients stayed visually impaired for longer in the UK than the USA because of costs and the more conservative nature of eye medicine.  He believes that as many as 8,000 cornea transplants should take place in the UK but this would not be possible because of lack of sufficient donors.  'We have an unmet need in this country. People are staying visually impaired for longer because they don't donate corneas as quickly as they should,' he said. 'Donation rates have sadly decreased in the UK for a number of reasons. Donors or their families are hesitant to donate eyes concerned about the appearance of the body afterwards.  'Another reason for a reduced supply has been not asking.  'Medical and nursing staff caring for a patient who has died are in the best position to ask the family about donation.  'Between poor morale and being extremely busy the question about donation is not being asked of the family of the bereaved and as a result there is less tissue being procured.'  Dr Dolores Conroy, Fight for Sight director of research, said: 'There is a need for 70 corneas per week with the main indications being keratoconus in younger people and endothelial failure - Fuchs dystrophy - in older people.  'Fight for Sight is funding research into these conditions and we have a better understanding of the genetic cause of corneal dystrophies. With the lack ofcorneasavailable for transplants, it's vital to have new treatments.  'With more and more people suffering eye conditions, particularly with an ageing population, it is more important than ever that we help if we can.' Damaged and scarred tissue - which causes loss of eyesight and blindness - is removed as part of the procedure and the 'biosynthetic' replacement is then stitched in its place Helen Gillan, General Manager Tissue Services for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: 'This sounds like an interesting technique and we await further information.  'There is an urgent shortage of cornea donors in the UK. We need 10 cornea donations a day to meet the needs of hospital patients - that's 70 a week.  'However there may be some weeks when we only have 50 donations. These shortfalls can lead to life-changing transplant operations being delayed.  'We appreciate that people may feel uncomfortable about donating certain parts of their body. But restoring somebody's eyesight through cornea donation is an amazing thing to do and many families tell us donation brings them great comfort after the death of a relative.'  Mr Daya, who does third world charity surgery, said artificial corneas could bring sight to the millions of people in the world who are blind because they do not have access to corneal transplantation.  The World Health Organization estimates that over 10 million people around the world are blind in one or both eyes from corneal disease or injury.

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Posted by: SIVASBRAMANIAM BALAJI <siva.rect72@gmail.com>

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