Key Milestones in 30 Years of Sight Saving Research

Share Founded in 1988:   Dr. Price  secured initial funding, incorporated the Cornea Research Foundation of America and began tracking transplant outcomes in the Cornea  Transplant  Database
so we could begin to understand why some transplants do better than others

On the Cutting Edge in 1991: First site in Indiana to test a new excimer laser which proved effective for millions who have now had laser vision correction

Going Global in 1997: Cornea.org was established as online resource for patients and doctors and the Visionary Newsletter was launched to update supporters on study findings and more

haring Knowledge in 1998: We began offering Cornea Courses to surgeons and have now hosted 600 doctors from 36 countries

Artificial Iris Study begins in  2002: Began offering iris (colored part of the eye) implants to improve quality of life for those born without an iris or with iris damage from an eye injury
 
Revolutionized Cornea Transplants in 2003: Performed first DSEK transplant in the U.S. — our reports of excellent outcomes have helped DSEK become the most widely used transplant procedure

“100 Years Later” in 2005: Dr. Mathias Zirm of Austria, the grandson of the surgeon who performed the first successful human cornea transplant, came to the U.S. to learn endothelial keratoplasty from Dr. Price

Allergy Relief in 2003: Helped get approval for once-a-day eye drop to relieve ocular itching and pain associated with allergies

Cataract Surgery in 2004: Evaluated a “blue blocker” intraocular lens to protect the retina after cataract surgery resulting in widespread use throughout the U.S.

Pionerring Transplants in 2005, Dr. Price performed first transplant with interlocking laser-cut incisions allowing faster healing and higher success — a technique now used globally!

Worldwide Cornea Shortage in 2007: Research to multiply stem cells from a single donor cornea to offer potential relief for the worldwide tissue shortage began.

DMEK Arrives in 2008:  Dr. Price published the first series of results on DMEK in the U.S. and through tracking outcomes found it reduces risk of graft rejection to less than 1% and leads to faster healing compared to full thickness and DSEK methods

Studies to investigate crosslinking as a strengthening treatment for those with weakened corneas, for conditions such as keratoconus, began in 2008 and  led to FDA approval in 2016

Transplant Textbook in 2009:  In addition to countless journal articles, Drs. Frank and Marianne Price co-authored first surgical textbook on DSEK and DMEK transplant techniques

Creating Resources in 2010: Drs. Frank and Marianne Price produced a book for surgeons providing practical advice about best practices in the treatment of cornea and external eye diseases

Addressing Why Transplants Fail in 2011: Studies initiated to unlock the mystery of why transplants that have been doing well sometimes rapidly deteriorate and fail resulting in graft replacement

LASIK vs. Contacts in 2012:  Nationwide survey of 1,800 participants every year for 3 years to determine if patient satisfaction between these  two popular vision correction methods changed over time

DMEK Steroid Studies in 2012:   Initiated first-ever prospective studies (3 large studies) of 850 participants to optimize steroid dosing to minimize graft rejection and glaucoma risk with DMEK

Dry Eye Relief in 2013:   Began several new studies to evaluate new treatments for dry eyes, one of the most frequent complaints made after eye surgery

Long-Term Outcomes in 2016:  CRFA published findings on 10-year DSEK follow-up and 5-year DMEK patient follow-up further showcasing the effectiveness of endothelial keratoplasty in treating corneal dystrophies

Genetics, Here We Go Again in 2017:  a follow-up study to the Fuchs’ genetics study (2006) began in order to identify which transplant recipients are at risk for high intraocular pressure side effect after surgery

ROCK Inhibitors to Reduce Complications in 2018:   A study to evaluate whether ROCK inhibitors can reduce the the number of transplant patients that experience elevated intraocular pressure and possibly help regrow lost endothelial cells

Now tracking long-term outcomes of over 5,500 endothelial keratoplasty (EK) procedures; continuing to uniquely position CRFA to make observations and optimize results more so than any other research center in the world

 

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