Abstract
Purpose::
To evaluate the outcomes ad safety of lamellar keratoplasty (LK) performed with Intralase® femtosecond laser one year after surgery.
Methods::
23 eyes of 23 patients (11 F and 12 M; mean age: 29.67yrs ± 13.23SD) affected by different corneal pathologies (5 post-traumatic corneal scar, 3 post-keratitis corneal leucoma and 15 keratoconus) were submitted to LK with Intralase®. Central corneal thickness, evaluated with an ultrasound corneal pachimeter, ranged between 338 and 550µm (mean: 388.8µm ± 39.1SD). A femtosecond laser (Intralase®; Intralase Corp, Irvine, CA, USA) was used to perform both corneal cuts on donor cornea and on receiving corneal bed, with the same diameter but increased thickness (expecially in LK for keratoconus), to restore a physiological corneal thickness and shape. Mean corneal donor button diameters was 8.34mm ± 0.28SD, with a mean thickness of 359µm ± 34.41SD. Preoperatively, mean UCVA was 0.09 ± 0.38SD, and mean BSCVA was 0.45 ± 0.32 SD.
Results::
Early postoperative observation showed a clear graft in all cases. A normal corneal pattern topography and a normal corneal thickness were restored in all cases (mean corneal pachimetry: 569µm ± 32,8SD). Twelve months postoperatively, the mean UCVA was 0.45 +/- 2.23SD, and the BSCVA resulted 0.60 ± 0.14SD.
Conclusions::
Although this clinical trial refers to a modest number of eyes, basing on the results obtained after 1 year of follow-up, Intralase assisted LK seems to be safe and effective in the surgical treatment of different corneal pathologies.
Keywords: cornea: clinical science • transplantation • laser