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Long-term ocular surface stability in conjunctivolimbal autograft and ocular surface safety in the donor eyes

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Abstract

Purpose

The current study is aimed to present the long-term results of the patients who underwent conjunctivolimbal autograft (CLAU) as the primary operation in unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency and the ocular surface safety of the donor eyes. The patients were followed up for five years or longer.

Methods

The records of all patients who underwent CLAU as the primary operation were retrospectively analyzed. Additional ocular surface operations, ocular surface stability, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and ocular surface status of the donor eyes were investigated.

Results

The mean age of the patients at the time of transplantation was 35.07 ± 12.9 (12–60). Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients were followed up for an average of 97.82 ± 34.45 (60–186) months. Additional ocular surface operation was required in 27.58% (8/29) of the eyes in order to achieve a stable ocular surface. Ocular surface stability was achieved in 82.75% (24/29) of the eyes at the end of the follow-up period. BCVA increased from 1.78 ± 0.82 to 0.91 ± 0.92 logMAR at the last visit (p < 0.001). Corneal ectasia and vascularization developed in one donor eye in the fifth postoperative year.

Conclusions

CLAU tissues provide ocular surface stability with a successful vision result in the long term. CLAU theoretically carries risks including limbal stem cell deficiency in the donor eye. In the long-term follow-up of donor eyes after CLAU, ectasia and limbal stem cell deficiency were observed in one eye.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Department, University of Health Sciences Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Ayşe Burcu, Züleyha Yalnız Akkaya, Evin Şıngar, Selma Ozbek-Uzman & Firdevs Örnek

  2. Ophthalmology Department, Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, Basaksehir, Istanbul, Turkey

    Burcu Nurozler Tabakci

Authors
  1. Burcu Nurozler Tabakci
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  2. Ayşe Burcu
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  3. Züleyha Yalnız Akkaya
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  4. Evin Şıngar
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  5. Selma Ozbek-Uzman
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  6. Firdevs Örnek
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by AB, ZYA, EŞ, and SUÖ. Literature review was performed by FÖ and BNT. The first draft of the manuscript was written by BNT, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Burcu Nurozler Tabakci.

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The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. The authors whose names are listed above certify that they have no conflict of interest in this work.

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Nurozler Tabakci, B., Burcu, A., Yalnız Akkaya, Z. et al. Long-term ocular surface stability in conjunctivolimbal autograft and ocular surface safety in the donor eyes. Int Ophthalmol 44, 75 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-024-03035-7

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