Femtosecond Laser–Assisted Sutureless Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.10.037
• Publication Date: 2008-01-04T21:19:00Z
• Authors: Sonia H. Yoo; George D. Kymionis; Aaleya Koreishi; Takeshi Ide; David Goldman; Carol L. Karp; Terrence P. O'Brien; William W. Culber...; Eduardo C. Alfonso
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; Suture Techniques; Visual Acuity; Lasers, Solid-State; Middle Aged; Corneal Diseases; Corneal Transplantation; 03 medical and health sciences; Postoperative Complications; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Female; Child; Intraoperative Complications; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Aged; Follow-Up Studies; Retrospective Studies

To report the technique and small case series results of femtosecond laser-assisted sutureless anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FALK) for anterior corneal pathology.Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series.Twelve consecutive eyes from 12 patients with anterior corneal scarring.Femtosecond laser-assisted sutureless anterior lamellar keratoplasty.Measured parameters included femtosecond laser settings, technique, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and complications.Mean follow-up was 12.7 months (range, 6-24). No intraoperative complications were found. Uncorrected visual acuity (VA) improved in 7 eyes (58.3%) compared with preoperative VA. The mean difference between preoperative and postoperative UCVAs was a gain of 2.5 lines (range, unchanged-7 lines). Best-corrected VA was unchanged or improved in all eyes compared with preoperative levels. The mean difference between preoperative and postoperative BCVAs was a gain of 3.8 lines (range, unchanged-8 lines). In 2 eyes, adjuvant surgical procedures were performed (one treated with phototherapeutic keratectomy and the other with photorefractive keratectomy). Six patients (50%) developed dry eye after FALK, which improved during the follow-up period. No graft rejection, infection, or epithelial ingrowth was found in this series of patients.Femtosecond laser-assisted sutureless anterior lamellar keratoplasty could improve UCVA and BCVA in patients with anterior corneal pathology.