title: Full-thickness corneal "vent incisions": how deep does the epithelium penetrate?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate epithelial cell penetration produced by full-thickness "vent incisions."
  
  
  METHODS
  Six donor human corneas with intact epithelium were placed on an artificial anterior chamber. Four perforating paracentral vent incisions were made in each cornea using a diamond knife.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty incisions were analyzed. Of the 20 wounds, 9 (45%) wounds demonstrated introduction of epithelial cells. Of these, 8 (89%) had epithelial cells at the level of the anterior half of the stroma, 3 (33%) had cells at the level of the posterior half of the stroma, and 1 (11%) had cells on the endothelium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Full-thickness vent incisions, as performed with Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, introduced epithelium into the stroma as deep as the endothelium. This may prove a source of epithelial ingrowth.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Great Neck, NY, USA.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Steiner
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Flug
authors: Tatyana
authors: T
authors: Milman
authors: Ira J
authors: IJ
authors: Udell
mesh_terms: D000867:Anterior Chamber; D001187:Artificial Organs; D002465:Cell Movement; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology*; D057111:Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D014019:Tissue Donors