Relaxing incisions with compression sutures to reduce astigmatism after epikeratoplasty

Relaxing incisions with compression sutures were performed in seven eyes with high astigmatism following epikeratoplasty for keratoconus and in one case of posttraumatic aphakia. Mean preoperative keratometric astigmatism was 7.64 +/- 2.51 diopters (range 5.50 D to 13.00 D) in the epikeratoplasties for keratoconus and about 10.00 D in the hyperopic epikeratoplasty. The surgical procedure consisted of a free-hand dissection perpendicular to the steeper meridian along the scar between the edge of the epikeratoplasty lenticule and the recipient cornea, with an additional incision into the recipient stroma to an approximate depth of 80%. Following the incisions, compression sutures were added 90 degrees away in the flatter meridian. After surgery, the net decrease in keratometric astigmatism was 6.50 D +/- 2.90 D (range 5.00 to 13.00 D) in the eyes with epikeratoplasty for keratoconus and 6.50 D in the eye with hyperopic epikeratoplasty. Uncorrected visual acuity improved in six eyes and remained unchanged in two eyes. Spectacle-corrected visual acuity improved in every eye and contact-lens-corrected visual acuity improved in seven eyes and was unchanged in one eye. This procedure, already employed for astigmatism correction after penetrating keratoplasty, was effective in decreasing astigmatism after epikeratoplasty.