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Tailored lamellar keratoplasty: a new technique
Mohammad Solaimani1, Seyed Ali Tabatabaei1, Zahra Fallah Tafti1
1Ocular Trauma and Emergency Unit, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
BMJ Case Reports
|August 5, 2017
Summary
A novel surgical technique addresses complicated corneal gaps in patients with prior radial keratotomy (RK). This method successfully restored visual acuity by replacing damaged corneal tissue, offering a promising solution for RK patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Corneal Surgery
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Radial keratotomy (RK) can lead to long-term complications, including irregular corneal shapes and visual disturbances.
- Fungal keratitis can further compromise the cornea, especially in post-RK eyes, creating complex corneal gaps.
- Existing treatments for such complex corneal defects in post-RK patients are limited.
Observation:
- A patient with a history of RK developed a complicated corneal gap following fungal keratitis.
- The affected oedematous corneal sector was surgically removed.
- An anterior, tailored segment from a previously used Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) corneal button was implanted.
Findings:
- The novel surgical approach successfully treated the complicated corneal gap.
- The patient achieved excellent best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 at 6 months post-procedure.
- The technique effectively compensated for the oedematous corneal tissue without negatively impacting other corneal structures.
Implications:
- This technique offers a viable solution for managing complex corneal gaps in post-RK patients.
- It demonstrates the potential of utilizing DSEK donor tissue segments for corneal reconstruction in specific cases.
- Further research may validate this approach for broader application in challenging corneal defect scenarios.
