title: Assessment of surgical outcomes of limbal transplantation using simple limbal epithelial transplantation technique in patients with total unilateral limbal deficiency.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the novel simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) technique, which reduces the risk of iatrogenic limbal stem cell deficiency in the donor eye. Four patients with total unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency received a limbal graft, measuring 4 mm × 2 mm, from the contralateral healthy eye in a single surgical procedure. The graft was divided into 10-20 pieces and distributed on the corneal surface. At 6-month follow-up, a completely avascular corneal epithelial surface was obtained in two patients, and there was improvement in visual acuity in one patient. The limbal grafts did not adhere to the cornea in one patient. No serious complications related to the surgery were observed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Cornea Section, Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Gabriela
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Cornea Section, Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Martina Maria Oiticica
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Myrna Serapião
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Telma Pereira
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Barreiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Álvaro Pereira
authors.initials: JÁ
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity