Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty for corneal penetrating wounds.

Abstract

PURPOSE\nTo report our surgical experience of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) performed in eyes with scarring resulting from a corneal penetrating wound without tissue loss.\n\n\nMETHODS\nCase series of three eyes of three patients that underwent DALK for poor vision due to a scar resulting from a previous corneal penetrating wound. Surgery was performed at least 1\u2009year after the initial injury. Manual dissection technique was used in all cases. Preoperative and postoperative best correct visual acuity (BCVA), postoperative residual bed thickness, and postoperative endothelial cell count (ECC) were evaluated.\n\n\nRESULTS\nPreoperative BCVA ranged from 1.3 to 1.0\u2009LogMAR. Two eyes were pseudophakic and one eye had a traumatic cataract. Manual DALK was successfully accomplished in all three cases. The mean residual recipient bed thickness was 103\u2009µm (range 68-130\u2009µm). The mean endothelial cell loss at the 6th month of follow-up was 6% (range 3%-11%) with a further 1% decrease at 4\u2009years. One of the patients underwent cataract surgery and limbal relaxing incisions 1\u2009year after DALK having a total endothelial cell loss of 4.8% at 2\u2009years of follow-up. BCVA at 2\u2009years of follow-up was 0.1 LogMAR (range 0.22-0.0\u2009LogMAR). No episode of rejection was recorded, and all grafts remained clear at last follow-up (5\u2009years, range 4-6\u2009years).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nManual DALK should be considered in cases of corneal scars in optical zone resulting from penetrating wound.