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Laser thermokeratoplasty after lamellar corneal cutting
M M Ismail1, J J Pérez-Santonja, J L Alió
1Refractive Surgery Unit, Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Spain.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effect of laser thermokeratoplasty (LTK) in eyes that previously had a lamellar corneal cut.
Setting:
University of Al-Azhar, Cairo, Egypt, and Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Spain.
Methods:
In 15 eyes (10 patients), noncontact LTK was applied 6 to 8 weeks after a lamellar corneal cut had been made. Central pachymetry, keratometry, and videokeratography were performed and uncorrected visual acuity, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and manifest and cycloplegic refractions measured before and 1, 6, 12, and 18 months after LTK.
Results:
Mean follow-up was 19.13 months. Mean refraction was +5.93 diopters (D) +/- 1.9 (SD) before LTK and -0.43 +/- 1.5 D at 1 month, +1.63 +/- 1.6 D at 6 months, 1.91 +/- 1.41 at 12 months, and +2.01 +/- 1.5 D at the end of the study. Total regression did not occur in any case. Mean BSCVA before LTK was 0.66 +/- 0.2, and spontaneous visual acuity at the end of the study was 0.58 +/- 0.18. No patient lost any lines of preoperative BSCVA. There was no significant difference between the results at 12 months and at the end of the study.
Conclusion:
Corneal lamellar cutting appeared to improve the magnitude of the refractive effect of noncontact LTK and to decrease the amount of regression.