ABSTRACT
In March 2020 the WHO announced the pandemic due to the new coronavirus nCoV-19, which uses the ACE-2 enzyme, present in several body tissues, to infect the host. The presence of ACE-2 in the corneal limbus makes the eyeball an important route of infection for the virus, which is why corneal transplantation is precluded in cases of suspected COVID-19 donors. Also in 2020, The Global Alliance of Eye Bank Association (GAEBA) developed restrictive measures aimed at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus between eye tissue donors and recipient patients, consequently, there was a reduction in effective donors and a global increase in the waiting lines for corneal transplantation worldwide. On the other hand, artificial corneal implantation presents itself as a positive alternative for the current moment, since it makes it impossible for the donor and the recipient of the eye tissue to become infected. In this sense, the present study aims to describe the use of artificial corneas in keratoplasties, considering this a safe and effective method for restoring vision during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.