Histopathologic Findings After Experimental Penetrating Keratoplasty Using Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene(Gore-Tex(R))in Rabbits: Treatment of Corneal Perforation Using Synthetic Materials. Report I

ABSTRACT

Although there had been many studies for evaluating an usefulness of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene(Gore-Tex(R)) as a temporary treatment of corneal perforation and a supporting skirt of keratoprosthesis, complications and instability of graft had limited the clinical applications. To find histopathologic factors that can contribute to the instability of graft and to try to modify the surgical methods with models of graft, serial examinations including biomicroscopy and histopathology were performed. According to the results, we were able to divide the causes of instability into two categories as a function of time. Epithelial down growth into the interface between graft and cornea with absence of epithelial coverage over the graft may cause leakage from anterior chamber in early period. Absence of fibrovascular invasion into Gore-Tex(R) resulting no cohesion between graft and cornea might be a factor of instability in late period. Based on these results, modification of surgical techniique and models of graft are needed. Several methods of modificiation are suggested in this report.