Received 23 July 2007; received in revised form 4 October 2007; accepted 25 October 2007. published online 03 January 2008.
Purpose
To report the technique and small case series results of femtosecond laser–assisted sutureless anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FALK) for anterior corneal pathology.
Design
Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series.
Participants
Twelve consecutive eyes from 12 patients with anterior corneal scarring.
Measured parameters included femtosecond laser settings, technique, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and complications.
Results
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.
Conclusions
Femtosecond laser–assisted sutureless anterior lamellar keratoplasty could improve UCVA and BCVA in patients with anterior corneal pathology.
Available online: January 20, 2008.
Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute–University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
Correspondence to Sonia H. Yoo, MD, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33136.
Manuscript no. 2007-965.
Drs Yoo and Culbertson received travel grants and speakers' honoraria from IntraLase Corp. No other author has a financial interest.
ABSTRACT