The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
18 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD
Telephone: 020-7935 0702
Facsimile: 020-7935 9838
Website:
WWW.RCOPHTH.AC.UK
PATRON HRH THE DUKE OF YORK, KCVO, ADX
EMAIL: SKILLS.CENTRE@RCOPHTH.AC.UK
FROM THE SKILLS CENTRE
(PART OF THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT
Two day course on Corneal transplantation and Common Corneal procedures (including
Amniotic membrane transplantation). Didactic and interactive with Wet labs.
Course Faculty:
Harminder S Dua and Dr DG Said (Day One).
Harminder Dua, Senthil V Maharajan and Dr DG Said (Day Two)
Day One
Lectures (morning session):
 Amniotic membrane (History, indications and uses, surgical techniques, fate of membrane,
complications) [Wet lab with human amniotic membrane: identification of side, trephination
and tailoring, suturing and gluing).
 Corneal gluing: Cyanoacrylate glue and fibrin glue. Indications and techniques [Wet lab
with each type of glue]
 Alcohol delamination of the corneal epithelium: technique, diagnostic and therapeutic uses
[Wet lab technique]
 Corneal Biopsy: Indications and techniques [Wet Lab. Biopsy using skin biopsy trephines]
 Fine needle diathermy occlusion of corneal vessels (didactic, Wet lab demonstration)
indications and techniques
 Suturing corneal lacerations: (didactic, Wet lab suturing practise) Leaking vs self-sealing
lacerations. Linear, triangular, stellate lacerations. Wounds with tissue loss.
Wet lab (afternoon session):
 Procedures as above
Day Two
Lectures (morning session):
 Penetrating keratoplasty
 Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty
 Endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK)
 (Indications, pre-operative assessment, surgical tips and techniques, post-operative
management including post keratoplasty astigmatism).
Wet Lab (afternoon session):
 Penetrating keratoplasty (use of Vacumn Trephine, manual trephination, Suturing
techniques). Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (Big bubble technique and manual lamellar
technique), Descemets stripping endothelial transplantation (manual technique) [Automated
technique if equipment available for use on bovine eyes].