Application of computational modeling to improve cornea transplant surgery

Abstract

Cornea transplant involving applanation results in a deformation of the cornea. This deformation combined with a mismatch of dimensional and mechanical properties between donor and recipient corneas gives rise to tension on the transplanted cornea, astigmatism and vision difficulties. Therefore, accurate prediction of deformation of the incision plant during such operations is necessary to minimize complications. In this work, we employed a finite element simulation on a cornea with measured geometry and hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin mechanical properties to analyze the intended incision plane's change during corneal applanation. A simulation of the cornea transplant procedure assuming two different geometries to be the same was performed, and the transplanted cornea showed a 5.1% change in the exterior radius. When the proposed method was applied, no change in the radius after transplant was observed. Moreover, a precise matching of the incision plane can be selected for the corneas, and the corneal deformation after an IntraLase-Enabled Keratoplasty (ILEK) corneal transplant procedure is expected to be minimal.