Another Chance - on Corneal Surgery and Transplants, with Prof Mark Daniell

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/0c/9a/67/0c9a676a-2088-bbbb-ffa5-f68bf6835d99/mza_13297010511291144334.jpeg/600x600bb.jpg

Talking Eyes with Lien Trinh

Lien Trinh

17 episodes

1 month ago

Talking Eyes with Lien Trinh is a groundbreaking Australian podcast dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in eye research. We’ll be translating these golden nuggets into tangible clinical practices, and help non-clinicians navigate their own interests in eye health and future possibilities.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All content for Talking Eyes with Lien Trinh is the property of Lien Trinh and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Chance - on Corneal Surgery and Transplants, with Prof Mark Daniell

Talking Eyes with Lien Trinh

39 minutes 32 seconds

2 months ago

Another Chance - on Corneal Surgery and Transplants, with Prof Mark Daniell

Guest: Professor Mark Daniell, Head of Corneal Research, Centre for Eye Research Australia

In this episode, we unpack what a corneal transplant actually involves, why rejections happen, and how modern “layered” (lamellar) techniques like DSAEK/DMEK are changing recovery and outcomes.

Mark also lifts the curtain on tissue-engineered corneas—how expanding a single donor could help treat more people worldwide—and a new hydrogel scaffold that aims to make delicate endothelial surgery faster, safer, and easier to perform in more places.

In this episode:

Why corneas fail: common reasons include keratoconus and endothelial failure (e.g., Fuchs dystrophy), where the inner cell layer can’t keep the cornea clear.
From “open-sky” to layers: Full-thickness grafts (penetrating keratoplasty) once dominated, but today many patients get lamellar transplants—replacing only the diseased layer—improving vision quality and lowering rejection risk.
Endothelial techniques:
DSAEK/“DSEK” adds a thin stromal slice + endothelium.
DMEK transplants just Descemet’s membrane + endothelium for the sharpest optics and the lowest rejection rates.
Why rejections dropped: Fewer stromal immune cells (like dendritic cells) in lamellar grafts mean fewer immune alarms.
Tech & tools matter: Microscopy, ultra-fine sutures, and air-bubble “sticking” steps are critical. Mini-scleral contact lenses also help post-graft vision.
Global need: Millions need corneal surgery, but many regions lack eye banks and surgeons. Expanding endothelial cells from one donor into many grafts could be a game-changer.
What’s next:
A dissolving hydrogel scaffold that “pops open” like a tent to simplify DMEK-style surgery.
Trials exploring cell-only injections of lab-grown endothelium.
Longer-term efforts to bioprint stroma and generate cells from iPSCs (reprogrammed skin cells).

Key resources for this episode:

Centre for Eye Research Australia: Corneal Transplants: What you need to know

Keratoconus Australia: Corneal Transplantation

Acknowledgements

Produced with support from Humdinger Studio (Melbourne), Gulwa Recording Studio (Darwin), the University of Melbourne, the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Optometry Australia, and mivision.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.