Research Program/Stem Cells

The Excellence Center for Cornea and Limbal Stem Cell Transplantation

Specialized cornea medical services with the newest technology
and equipment in Thailand

The Excellence Center for Cornea and Limbal Stem Cell Transplantation provides specialized cornea medical services with the newest technology and equipment in Thailand. It was formerly titled as the Ophthalmology Department, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. It is renowned for corneal replacement surgery from the first patient in Thailand in 1959. Since then, the corneal surgery technology has been progressively developed. Currently, the cornea replacement can be done via the problematic layer without destroying other good layers. Its benefits to the patients suffering from eye disease is they recover much quicker due to the smaller wound from an operation.

Stem cell transplantation is another innovation we are proud of. The Excellence center can successfully cultivate stem cells in Thailand by removing the patient’s good stem cells from his other eye. The other methods are eye culturing from donation and the cell culturing from the patient’s oral epithelial cells for effective corneal transplantation. These 3 methods are collaborated by the Excellence Center for Cornea and Limbal Stem Cell Transplantation, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Nipaj Isara Sena Na Ayudhya.

Vision

We aim to provide corneal medical services to patients in need of comprehensive corneal and stem cell transplantation.

Mission

Service

To provide comprehensive corneal treatment to patients with the corneal transplantation surgery.
To provide comprehensive treatment to patients with ocular disease in need of stem cell transplantation.

Knowledge sharing

To contribute to good cooperation among international institutions in exchanging knowledge or new technologies leading to developing medical treatments to patients in Thailand.

The Excellence Center for Cornea and Limbal Stem Cell Transplantation is managed by…

Assoc. Prof. Wilawan Puangsicharoen as the president and Assoc. Prof. Ngamchit Kasetsuwan (Head of the Laser Vision Center) as the vice president, cooperating with specialists, nurses, and medical scientists.

Services

Currently, this Excellence Center has provided services for corneal medical treatment, corneal skin disease and limbus hypothyroidism, including corneal degeneration, corneal inflammation and corneal infection, managed by the top expert physician team in Thailand.

In addition, there is also research of corneal stem cell culturing cooperating with the unit of stem cell therapy research, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University as the first center in Thailand fully equipped with advanced technology and medical tools.

Femtosecond laser for corneal transplantation.
Development of corneal surgery using DALK DSAEK and DMEK technologies.
Corneal stem cell transplantation in patients with eye skin disease.
Corneal UV irradiation.
The corrective ring surgery for corneal distortion.

It is obvious that this center has the full potential to cure all types of corneal diseases and that the patients with complicated corneal disease from various hospitals nationwide are transferred to this Center. Currently, approximately 300 patients are treated per month and over 120 corneal replacement surgeries are achieved per year while the funding from NSTDA is provided for over 30 cases per year.

In addition, the center is planning to develop an electronic system to support patients and stop them from traveling to the hospital by cooperating with hospitals at all the provinces to provide medical advice via Teleconference.