China's first artificial cornea surgery completed

Union Hospital, an affiliate of Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei province, recently completed China's first artificial cornea transplant.

The 25-year-old female patient, whose right eye had been damaged eight years ago, recovered well after surgery on Jan 6 performed by a medical team led by ophthalmologist Zhang Mingchang.

"After the transplant stabilizes, her vision is expected to improve with a pair of glasses or special contact lenses," said Xie Huatao, a member of the team. "We will continue to observe the long-term results."

The woman was discharged on Thursday, the hospital said.

"For years, I have sought medical treatments at hospitals in different cities, but the condition got worse and seriously affected my daily work and life," she said. "I have to use a computer frequently during my work, but I was nearly blind in my right eye and I could only use my left."

On Jan 4, she went to the hospital and was told that her vision could only be restored with a corneal transplant. But finding a suitable donor would take a long time, so she decided to participate in a clinical trial involving artificial corneas.