Refractive corneal surgery: the use of implantable alloplastic lens material

A basic problem encountered in all forms of lamellar refractive surgery has been the predictability of the optical corrections. Corneal tissue used in refractive surgery behaves in a variable fashion because its shape is determined in vivo by the process of healing and graft repopulation. Therefore no preoperative measure of the ultimate power of the lathed corneal lens can be made. Another drawback is the limited supply of donor corneal tissue. In an effort to overcome these problems, we have used alloplastic materials in conjunction with lamellar refractive surgery to improve the predictability of the result. The use of this material would also allow accurate preoperative determination of lens power. Intralamellar implants appeared to heal quite rapidly after surgery. Their optical clarity was excellent and the corneal surface appeared stable. Further research into long-term stability and predictability are currently underway.