title: Femtosecond Laser-assisted Endokeratophakia Using Allogeneic Corneal Lenticule in a Rabbit Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility of allogeneic corneal lenticule implantation using the femtosecond laser as a method for cornea remodeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Small incision lenticule extraction was performed on the right eyes of 15 New Zealand white rabbits. Corneal intrastromal pockets were created with a femtosecond laser on the left eyes. Allogeneic corneal lenticule implantation was performed on the left eye immediately after the lenticule was extracted from the right eye. All animals had preoperative and postoperative slit-lamp photography, ultrasonic pachymetry, corneal endothelial cell count, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, in vivo confocal microscopy, and retinoscopy refraction during the observation period of 8 weeks. The rabbits were killed 8 weeks after surgery. Corneal wound healing response was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, hematoxylin-eosin staining, TUNEL assay, and immunofluorescent staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mild corneal edema and decreased clarity were noted the first few days after implantation, improving to normal 8 weeks after surgery. The corneal thickness and retinoscopy refraction were stable during the observation period. Viable keratocytes could be detected within the lenticule lamellae by ultrastructural analysis 8 weeks after surgery. The anterior and posterior border of the lenticule showed acellular layers with highly irregular collagen arrangement on transmission electron microscope images. Proliferating Ki-67 positive cells were present only in the epithelium layer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Femtosecond laser-assisted endokeratophakia using allogeneic corneal lenticule may be feasible for reshaping cornea, providing a new possibility in refractive surgery and keratoconus treatment.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Manli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yugui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Danyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yili
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055954:Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss / Q000473:pathology; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000637:transplantation*; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser / Q000379:methods*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D023421:Models, Animal; D010781:Photography; D011817:Rabbits; D042262:Retinoscopy; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology