[Lamellar keratoplasty with the excimer laser. Initial clinical results]

If excimer laser techniques are used to prepare the bed of the recipient eye and to prepare the donor lenticule diameter and thickness, congruence of the cut surfaces will be optimal. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The preliminary in vitro investigations have already been reported. We now present the clinical results of three patients with circumscript corneal opacities, whom we treated with the lamellar keratoplasty in accordance with the calibration method we developed (follow-up 4-12 months). The lenticule thickness required varied between 320 and 415 microns, depending on the extent of the opacity. The lenticule was fixed with a suture for 9 months. RESULTS. All transplants healed without complications. The parts of the cornea treated with the laser did not show opacities in the "interface" or adjacent corneal layers. CONCLUSION. Besides optimal fit of the transplant, the absence of intrastromal opacities makes the instrument and apparatus requirement worthwhile. The clinical results are superior to those of conventional dissection methods. The absence of intrastromal opacities indicates that our method will be suitable for treating high-grade myopia. If possible, intrastromal treatment should be carried out after lamellation (LASIK).