Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 25, 2026
Establishing a Severe Corneal Inflammation Model in Rats Based on Corneal Epithelium Curettage Combined with Corneal Sutures
Published on: November 22, 2024
Corneal neurotization
1Cornea, Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery Department, University of Ottawa Eye Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Purpose Of Review:
Neurotrophic keratopathy is a devastating corneal condition that can lead to ocular morbidity and blindness. Current medical and surgical treatments poorly tackle the essential problem of corneal aesthesia and hence fail to provide a permanent cure. Recent advances in corneal neurotization techniques have shown promise to restore corneal nerves in neurotrophic keratopathy. This article aims at reviewing the current surgical advances, along with the current thoughts and evidence available for corneal nerve regeneration.
Recent Findings:
Corneal neurotization was first introduced in 2009 by Terzis et al., but recently picked up more interest since 2014. Direct and indirect neurotization are being developed, and different nerves (sural nerve, great auricular nerve) have been explored for interposition between frontal nerve branches and the cornea. New endoscopic techniques are introduced for less invasive approaches. On the corneal front, confocal microscopy and esthesiometry studies have established that the regeneration of the corneal nerves is happening 6 months after the procedure.
Summary:
Neurotization is a budding revolutionary technique that shows promise of cure for neurotrophic corneas, but at this stage, it is still reasonably invasive and still reserved for selected patients.
