Technique for harvesting keratolimbal allografts from corneoscleral buttons

PURPOSE: To report a method for obtaining thin keratolimbal lenticules from cadaveric corneoscleral buttons for corneal epithelial stem cell allograft s. METHOD: A standard silicone orbital sizing sphere and three 25-gauge needle s were employed to fix the corneoscleral button to facilitate excision of k eratolimbal lenticules, RESULT: Limbal stem cells in the form of keratolimbal lenticules were obtai ned without difficulty. CONCLUSION: With this technique, thin keratolimbal lenticules of good quali ty can be obtained efficiently, inexpensively, and without specialized inst ruments. (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.