Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the outcomes ad safety of lamellar keratoplasty (LK) performed with a femtosecond laser (Intralase®).
Methods: :
18 eyes of 18 patients (10 F and 8 M; mean age: 33,45yrs ± 5.6SD) affected by different corneal pathologies (5 post–traumatic corneal scar, 3 post–keratitis corneal leucoma and 10 keratoconus) were submitted to LK with Intralase®. Central corneal thickness, evaluated with an ultrasound corneal pachometer, ranged between 430 and 550 µm (mean: 470µm ±63.24SD). A 15 kHz femtosecond laser (Intralase®) was used to perform both corneal cuts on donor cornea and on receiving corneal bed, with the same diameter but different thickness (expecially in LK for keratoconus), to restore a physiological corneal thickness and shape. Corneal donor button diameters ranged between 8.2 and 8.7 mm (mean: 8.26mm ± 0.26SD), with a thickness ranging between 250 and 380 micron (mean: 345µm ± 52.34SD). Preoperatively, mean UCVA was 0.11 ± 0.28SD, and mean BSCVA was 0.30 ± 0.27 SD.
Results: :
Early postoperative observation showed a clear graft in all cases. A normal corneal pattern topography and a normal corneal thickness were restored (mean corneal pachometry: 565µm ± 27.34SD). Five months postoperatively, mean BSCVA resulted 0.41 ± 0.12SD.
Conclusions: :
Although the number of eyes treated is very small, we proudly say that Intralase LK could be safe and effective in the surgical treatment of various corneal pathologies.
Keywords: transplantation • laser • keratoconus