“I believe someone will need cataract surgery on Mars in my lifetime”

Berkeley Eye Center ophthalmologist, Dr Morgan Micheletti, described a project that involved transporting intraocular lenses to space during his presentation at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Congress (ESCRS) (11–15 September, Excel London).

The project involved flying 135 IOLs to the International Space Station (ISS), while 45 control IOLs were stored on earth at room temperature in a similar container to the one used on the ISS.

Both sets of IOLs were unpackaged, with the ISS lenses exposed to a range of challenging conditions – including high UV radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and elevated atomic oxygen levels.

Following six months in orbit, around half of the IOLs sent to space and half of the control IOLs were examined by Dr Liliana Werner and colleagues at the University of Utah’s Intermountain Ocular Research Center.

The researchers examined whether the lenses remained intact, the overall clarity of the lenses, and whether there were any deposits or changes on the lens surface.

The majority of the space IOLs that were examined (42 of 61) did not display any visible signs of their exposure to environmental conditions in space.

Among the 19 lenses that were affected by the conditions in space, the researchers observed three main patterns on the lens surface: cracks and surface roughening consistent with early atomic oxygen erosion, yellow discolouration and a cobblestone or bubble wrap appearance on the lens surface.

Micheletti emphasised that the research was an exploratory, descriptive study. He added that future research could explore how equipment used in cataract surgery performs during brief periods of microgravity produced by parabolic flights.

Sustained microgravity testing could then be carried out followed by an in-orbit surgical experiment.

“The progression has to be deliberate: first the materials, then the equipment, then the procedure and, ultimately, the surgery. My long-term hope is to help make the first eye surgery beyond earth possible,” Micheletti said.