Abstract
This study aimed to describe a novel sandwich technique of minimally invasive surgical implantation by using corneal stromal lenticules for corneal perforation. This prospective observational study included nine patients aged 23-79 years (mean, 54 ± 9) from Tianjin Eye Hospital. Corneal stromal lenticules with a central thickness of 120 μm were obtained from small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE). With the corneal perforation as the central point, an iris-repositor was used to manually create a mid-stromal pocket; the stromal lenticular button was gently inserted into the intrastromal pocket and flattened. The graft was sandwiched between the anterior and posterior corneal stromal pockets; the incision was closed using two sutures. The primary health outcome measured in this study was the logMAR best spectacle-visual acuity at 6 months postoperatively. Corneal perforation closure and anterior chamber formation occurred immediately after surgery. No epithelial implantation, infection, or allogeneic rejection was observed during the follow-up. No patients required a penetrating keratoplasty. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography revealed a mean thickness of the grafted tissue of 122 ± 21 μm, with a clear interface in all cases. Comparing the baseline and postoperative 6-month values, the mean logMAR best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was improved from 0.18 ± 0.12 to 0.52 ± 0.31 (P < 0.001). There was significant reduction in the mean manifest spherical equivalent, refractive cylinder, and mean keratometry readings. The novel minimally invasive surgical method for corneal implantation. It was an effective alternative treatment that could restore corneal integrity and improve vision in patients with corneal perforations. This method appears safe, easy, cost- and time-effective, and reliable.