{"id":6073,"date":"2026-01-26T10:40:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T07:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/?page_id=6073"},"modified":"2026-02-16T11:30:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:30:01","slug":"corneal-disorders","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/en\/for-patients\/corneal-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"Corneal Disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"6073\" class=\"elementor elementor-6073\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-24d7a0c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-gap-beside-yes elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-content-align-center elementor-section-column-vertical-align-stretch magic-button-disabled-no\" data-id=\"24d7a0c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b88ec42\" data-id=\"b88ec42\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-a4b3015 elementor-section-column-vertical-align-middle elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-gap-beside-yes elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-content-align-center magic-button-disabled-no\" data-id=\"a4b3015\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-extended\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-b4a74a6\" data-id=\"b4a74a6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c3f62b elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4c3f62b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;unicampFadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/cornea-rk04vxssrjj8piifbz2mvdtt1v9arbppe3q3o0aok0.jpg\" title=\"cornea\" alt=\"cornea\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-ba293a8\" data-id=\"ba293a8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-16a7cdc elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-tm-heading\" data-id=\"16a7cdc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;unicampFadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"tm-heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tm-modern-heading\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"heading-primary-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-primary elementor-heading-title\">Corneal Anatomy<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t    <div class=\"heading-divider\"><\/div>\n\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"heading-description-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"heading-description\">\n\t\t\t\t<p>The\u00a0<strong>cornea<\/strong>\u00a0is the\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">transparent<\/span>\u00a0front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">anterior chamber<\/span>. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power.<sup id=\"cite_ref-Cassin_0-0\" class=\"reference\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><sup id=\"cite_ref-Goldstein_1-0\" class=\"reference\">\u00a0<\/sup>In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is approximately 43 dioptres.\u00a0<\/p><p>The cornea has\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">unmyelinated<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">nerve<\/span>\u00a0endings sensitive to touch, temperature and chemicals; a touch of the cornea causes an involuntary\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">reflex<\/span>\u00a0to close the eyelid. Because transparency is of prime importance the cornea does not have blood vessels; it receives nutrients via diffusion from the tear fluid at the outside and the aqueous humour at the inside and also from\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">neurotrophins<\/span>\u00a0supplied by nerve fibres that innervate it. In humans, the cornea has a diameter of about 11.5\u00a0mm and a thickness of 500-600 \u03bcm in the center and 600\u2013800 \u03bcm at the periphery. Transparency, avascularity, the presence of immature resident immune cells, and immunologic privilege makes the cornea a very special tissue.<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8f666cd e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8f666cd\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f0dac3 e-con-full e-flex magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5f0dac3\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f3c531 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f3c531\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Corneal Layers:<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Corneal epithelium<\/li><li><span class=\"mw-redirect\">Bowman&#8217;s layer<\/span>\u00a0<\/li><li>Corneal stroma<\/li><li>Descemet&#8217;s membrane<\/li><li>Corneal endothelium<\/li><\/ul><p>Various\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">refractive eye surgery<\/span>\u00a0techniques change the shape of the cornea in order to reduce the need for corrective lenses or otherwise improve the refractive state of the eye.\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Orthokeratology<\/strong>\u00a0is a method using specialized hard or rigid gas-permeable contact lenses to transiently reshape the cornea in order to improve the refractive state of the eye or reduce the need for eyeglasses and contact lenses.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-27f6bc2 e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"27f6bc2\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-efe7a64 e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"efe7a64\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba1b2dc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ba1b2dc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Hellenic Keratoconus Center<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6aacb9a e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6aacb9a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee3cefb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ee3cefb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"item-title\"><h2>Keratoconus<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"box item\"><div class=\"in\"><div class=\"descr\"><p><strong>Keratoconus<\/strong> is a condition of the cornea that appears during adolescence and usually progresses until the fourth decade of life. It typically affects both eyes at different rates of progression. In keratoconus, the central part of the cornea thins and takes on a conical shape instead of the usual somewhat spherical shape. The patient&#8217;s vision is blurred due to significant myopia and irregular astigmatism. When it first appears, it can be successfully treated with a regular pair of glasses or contact lenses, but as it progresses, satisfactory vision can only be achieved with the use of specialized contact lenses. In advanced stages, surgery is required.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82069c6 e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"82069c6\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-137f176 e-con-full e-flex magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"137f176\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21112df e-grid e-con-full magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"21112df\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bf153e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7bf153e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"230\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/230px-keratoconus_eye.jpg\" class=\"attachment-woosc-large size-woosc-large wp-image-4994\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/230px-keratoconus_eye.jpg 230w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/230px-keratoconus_eye-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2400401 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2400401\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"220\" height=\"161\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/220px-keratoconus.svg.png\" class=\"attachment-woosc-large size-woosc-large wp-image-4995\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-644e079 e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"644e079\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0eee5b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f0eee5b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The LVO is a center of reference and study for this condition, given that corneal transplants in keratoconus were the main research topic of the doctoral thesis (1976-1981) of the former Director of the LVO, Prof. I. Pallikaris, and one of the key factors that contributed to its creation and establishment by him in 1989, the Vardinoyannis Laboratory of Eye Transplantation and Microsurgery.<\/p><p>Today, the LVO conducts studies on the epidemiology of the disease in Greece, as well as on its genetic background, in collaboration with major universities abroad. At the same time, the LVO is at the forefront of global research into the discovery and adoption of the most modern methods for delaying or halting the progression of the disease, improving patients&#8217; visual acuity (vision), and applying minimally invasive treatments for keratoconus, such as corneal collagen cross-linking and the application of intracorneal rings (Intacs). The LVO is one of the first centers to implement these treatments, having operated on one of the largest numbers of patients worldwide, while applying personalized treatment to each patient. The spectacular results of these applications have been published in peer-reviewed international medical journals (these publications are from the largest series of patients with keratoconus, source: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pubmed.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">http:\/\/www.pubmed.org<\/span><\/a>), thus contributing to the further development of these methods.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fab399e e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"fab399e\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d96a1e1 e-con-full e-flex magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d96a1e1\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e023f2f unicamp-accordion-style-01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-tm-accordion\" data-id=\"e023f2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"tm-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"unicamp-accordion unicamp-accordion-icon-right\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"accordion-title\">CXL: Corneal Collagen Cross Linking<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"accordion-icon opened-icon\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"accordion-icon closed-icon\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A new therapeutic approach for the treatment of keratoconus is the\u00a0<strong>interconnection of the corneal collagen (Corneal Cross Linking, CXL) with the use of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and Ultraviolet irradiation A<\/strong>. The aim is the improvement of the resistance and rigidity of the cornea -stiffening effect- that ceases the development of keratoconus.<strong>\u00a0IVO in this moment is concerned as the world\u2019s avant-garde in the application of this treatment and constitutes a point of reference in CXL treatment<\/strong>.<\/p><p>A one-time application of riboflavin solution is administered to the eye and is activated by illumination with\u00a0<span class=\"mw-redirect\">UV-A<\/span>\u00a0light for approximately 30 minutes.<sup id=\"cite_ref-Spoerl1_27-1\" class=\"reference\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><sup id=\"cite_ref-47\" class=\"reference\">\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The riboflavin causes new bonds to form across adjacent collagen strands in the stromal layer of the cornea, which recovers and preserves some of the cornea&#8217;s mechanical strength. The corneal epithelial layer is generally removed in order to increase penetration of the riboflavin into the stroma.The duration of the treatment is one hour and it is painless due to the use of local anesthaetic drops. In the end of the treatment, a bandage contact lens is placed in the eye which remains from 4 to 6 days.<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5000 size-medium aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intraoperative_pachymetric-guided_corneal_epithelium_removal_during_corneal_collagen_cross_linking_in_patient_with_post-lasik_corneal_e-300x213.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intraoperative_pachymetric-guided_corneal_epithelium_removal_during_corneal_collagen_cross_linking_in_patient_with_post-lasik_corneal_e-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intraoperative_pachymetric-guided_corneal_epithelium_removal_during_corneal_collagen_cross_linking_in_patient_with_post-lasik_corneal_e-1024x727.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intraoperative_pachymetric-guided_corneal_epithelium_removal_during_corneal_collagen_cross_linking_in_patient_with_post-lasik_corneal_e-768x545.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intraoperative_pachymetric-guided_corneal_epithelium_removal_during_corneal_collagen_cross_linking_in_patient_with_post-lasik_corneal_e-600x426.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intraoperative_pachymetric-guided_corneal_epithelium_removal_during_corneal_collagen_cross_linking_in_patient_with_post-lasik_corneal_e.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"accordion-title\">INTACS<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"accordion-icon opened-icon\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"accordion-icon closed-icon\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The INTACS (Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments or Intracorneal rings) are small rings of biocompatible material, which are placed in the cornea of the patients with keratoconus in order to improve the topographic images and the visual acuity of the patients.<\/p><p>The placement of the rings demands the creation of a tunnel in the cornea with the use of a 5th generation Laser the iFS Advanced Femtosecond Laser and the patient does not feel them in his eye at all. The placement of Intacs is decided by the surgeon depending on the particular characteristics of each patient. The intervention is conducted under anesthaetic drops and is painless.<\/p><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-5001 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intrastromalrings1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"96\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5002 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intacsafterinsertion-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intacsafterinsertion-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intacsafterinsertion-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/intacsafterinsertion.jpg 606w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"accordion-title\">Lamellar and Penetrating Keratoplasty<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"accordion-icon opened-icon\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"accordion-icon closed-icon\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Lamellar and Penetrating keratoplasties are interventions in which total or partial transplantation of the corneal tissue is effectuated for the treatment of various diseases of the cornea that considerably decrease visual acuity.<\/strong><\/p><p>Keratoplasty can be penetrating (full corneal transplantation) or partial, such as lamellar keratoplasty or endothelium transplantation (DSAEK). Until recently, incisions were made by the use of specially designed surgical instruments which resulted in the need of stitches and high postoperative astigmatism.\u00a0<strong>At LVO those incisions can be performed with the use of the Femtosecond Laser offering numerous advantages<\/strong>. Firstly, we can precisely create the same dimension implant in both donor and recipient corneas and moreover we can give various different shapes. The result is fewer stitches, less post operative astigmatism and graft form depending on our patients needs.<\/p><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5006\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/suco0002.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/suco0002.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/suco0002-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/suco0002-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/suco0002-96x96.jpg 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5007 size-medium aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cornea_transplant-300x227.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cornea_transplant-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cornea_transplant-600x453.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cornea_transplant.jpg 752w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p><p>At IVO as well as at the University Hospital Ophthalmology department, apart from the common keratoplasty methods, partial anterior and posterior keratoplasty are performed. These modern applications have good results in respect to the conventional keratoplasty because keratoconus, trauma, corneal scars and enthodethium pathology can be confronted successfully with the use of the Femtosecond Laser.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-06b7ef0 e-flex e-con-boxed magic-button-disabled-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"06b7ef0\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Corneal Anatomy The\u00a0cornea\u00a0is the\u00a0transparent\u00a0front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and\u00a0anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye&#8217;s total optical power.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is approximately 43 dioptres.\u00a0 The cornea has\u00a0unmyelinated\u00a0nerve\u00a0endings sensitive to touch, temperature and chemicals; a touch of the cornea causes an involuntary\u00a0reflex\u00a0to close the eyelid. Because transparency is of prime importance the cornea does not have blood vessels; it receives nutrients via diffusion from the tear fluid at the outside and the aqueous humour at the inside and also from\u00a0neurotrophins\u00a0supplied by nerve fibres that innervate it. In humans, the cornea has a diameter of about 11.5\u00a0mm and a thickness of 500-600 \u03bcm in the center and 600\u2013800 \u03bcm at the periphery. Transparency, avascularity, the presence of immature resident immune cells, and immunologic privilege makes the cornea a very special tissue. Corneal Layers: Corneal epithelium Bowman&#8217;s layer\u00a0 Corneal stroma Descemet&#8217;s membrane Corneal endothelium Various\u00a0refractive eye surgery\u00a0techniques change the shape of the cornea in order to reduce the need for corrective lenses or otherwise improve the refractive state of the eye.\u00a0 Orthokeratology\u00a0is a method using specialized hard or rigid gas-permeable contact lenses to transiently reshape the cornea in order to improve the refractive state of the eye or reduce the need for eyeglasses and contact lenses. Hellenic Keratoconus Center Keratoconus Keratoconus is a condition of the cornea that appears during adolescence and usually progresses until the fourth decade of life. It typically affects both eyes at different rates of progression. In keratoconus, the central part of the cornea thins and takes on a conical shape instead of the usual somewhat spherical shape. The patient&#8217;s vision is blurred due to significant myopia and irregular astigmatism. When it first appears, it can be successfully treated with a regular pair of glasses or contact lenses, but as it progresses, satisfactory vision can only be achieved with the use of specialized contact lenses. In advanced stages, surgery is required. The LVO is a center of reference and study for this condition, given that corneal transplants in keratoconus were the main research topic of the doctoral thesis (1976-1981) of the former Director of the LVO, Prof. I. Pallikaris, and one of the key factors that contributed to its creation and establishment by him in 1989, the Vardinoyannis Laboratory of Eye Transplantation and Microsurgery. Today, the LVO conducts studies on the epidemiology of the disease in Greece, as well as on its genetic background, in collaboration with major universities abroad. At the same time, the LVO is at the forefront of global research into the discovery and adoption of the most modern methods for delaying or halting the progression of the disease, improving patients&#8217; visual acuity (vision), and applying minimally invasive treatments for keratoconus, such as corneal collagen cross-linking and the application of intracorneal rings (Intacs). The LVO is one of the first centers to implement these treatments, having operated on one of the largest numbers of patients worldwide, while applying personalized treatment to each patient. The spectacular results of these applications have been published in peer-reviewed international medical journals (these publications are from the largest series of patients with keratoconus, source: http:\/\/www.pubmed.org), thus contributing to the further development of these methods. CXL: Corneal Collagen Cross Linking A new therapeutic approach for the treatment of keratoconus is the\u00a0interconnection of the corneal collagen (Corneal Cross Linking, CXL) with the use of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and Ultraviolet irradiation A. The aim is the improvement of the resistance and rigidity of the cornea -stiffening effect- that ceases the development of keratoconus.\u00a0IVO in this moment is concerned as the world\u2019s avant-garde in the application of this treatment and constitutes a point of reference in CXL treatment. A one-time application of riboflavin solution is administered to the eye and is activated by illumination with\u00a0UV-A\u00a0light for approximately 30 minutes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The riboflavin causes new bonds to form across adjacent collagen strands in the stromal layer of the cornea, which recovers and preserves some of the cornea&#8217;s mechanical strength. The corneal epithelial layer is generally removed in order to increase penetration of the riboflavin into the stroma.The duration of the treatment is one hour and it is painless due to the use of local anesthaetic drops. In the end of the treatment, a bandage contact lens is placed in the eye which remains from 4 to 6 days. INTACS The INTACS (Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments or Intracorneal rings) are small rings of biocompatible material, which are placed in the cornea of the patients with keratoconus in order to improve the topographic images and the visual acuity of the patients. The placement of the rings demands the creation of a tunnel in the cornea with the use of a 5th generation Laser the iFS Advanced Femtosecond Laser and the patient does not feel them in his eye at all. The placement of Intacs is decided by the surgeon depending on the particular characteristics of each patient. The intervention is conducted under anesthaetic drops and is painless. Lamellar and Penetrating Keratoplasty Lamellar and Penetrating keratoplasties are interventions in which total or partial transplantation of the corneal tissue is effectuated for the treatment of various diseases of the cornea that considerably decrease visual acuity. Keratoplasty can be penetrating (full corneal transplantation) or partial, such as lamellar keratoplasty or endothelium transplantation (DSAEK). Until recently, incisions were made by the use of specially designed surgical instruments which resulted in the need of stitches and high postoperative astigmatism.\u00a0At LVO those incisions can be performed with the use of the Femtosecond Laser offering numerous advantages. Firstly, we can precisely create the same dimension implant in both donor and recipient corneas and moreover we can give various different shapes. The result is fewer stitches, less post operative astigmatism and graft form depending on our patients needs. At IVO as well as at the University Hospital Ophthalmology department, apart from the common keratoplasty methods, partial anterior and posterior keratoplasty are performed. These modern applications have good [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":5974,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6073","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","post-no-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6073"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6906,"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6073\/revisions\/6906"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lvo.hosting.dgu.uoc.gr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}