Femtosecond laser-assisted corneal transplantation

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Corneal opacification severely impacts vision, with transplantation being the primary treatment.
• Advancements in keratoplasty techniques allow for customized procedures and improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the intraoperative applications and postoperative outcomes of femtosecond laser (FSL)-assisted keratoplasties.
• To evaluate the role of FSL in various corneal transplantation techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on FSL applications in corneal transplantation.
• Summary of outcomes for penetrating keratoplasty, anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK), deep ALK, Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (EK), and Descemet membrane EK.

Main Results:

• FSL enables precise customization of graft thickness and shape, and facilitates complex graft-host junctions.
• FSL has been applied across multiple keratoplasty types, including ALK and EK variations.

Conclusions:

• FSL-assisted keratoplasty offers enhanced precision and customization in corneal transplantation.
• Further research is needed to address cost-effectiveness and fully assess the advantages versus limitations of FSL in clinical practice.