For the first time in Sardinia, and among the first in Italy, a procedure combining corneal transplantation with corneal neurotization, a surgical procedure aimed at restoring sensation to the surface of the eye, was performed at the Cagliari University Hospital. The operation was performed on a 53-year-old woman by a multidisciplinary team composed of Professor Giuseppe Giannaccare (director of Ophthalmology at San Giovanni di Dio), ophthalmologist Alberto Cuccu, and Professor Filippo Boriani of the Plastic Surgery and Microsurgery Department at the Duilio Casula Polyclinic.
The procedure is intended for patients with severe forms of neurotrophic keratopathy, a disease in which the cornea loses its sensitivity and becomes more fragile, susceptible to lesions and ulcers that can seriously impair vision. In these cases, simply replacing the damaged tissue is not enough: it is also essential to promote the recovery of the eye's natural protective mechanisms. Therefore, the procedure combines the transplantation of the damaged cornea with the transfer of healthy nerve fibers from the other side of the face, with the goal of gradually restoring sensitivity and protection to the corneal surface.
The result is not only an important surgical achievement, but also a sign of a research path already underway. The team led by Professor Giannaccare has achieved national recognition by winning a targeted research call from the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Lombardy Region, the ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo in Milan, and the IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Bologna. The project, funded with €400,000, studies new biological and surgical strategies to improve corneal survival in patients who have lost corneal innervation, including through the use of decellularized peripheral nerves.
(Unioneonline)