First corneal endothelial transplantation performed in Lithuania

The first transplantation of corneal endothelium, the inner layer of the cornea, has been performed at Kaunas Clinics in Lithuania, the hospital said on Thursday.

The operation restored sight for a male patient, 64. The man started suffering cornea complications following cataract surgery on his right eye.

The only way to save the damaged eye was to transplant the cornea.

Professor Vytautas Jasinskas, who performed the operation, underwent training for this specific technique in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at a centre specializing in the cornea transplantation.

According to Jasinskas, endothelial transplantation is performed when only the cornea's inner layer is damaged, and healthy tissues are preserved.

Until now, only transplantation of all cornea tissues had been performed in Lithuania.