ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To analyze the long-term effect of epikeratophakia (EKP) on corneal topography and visual acuity of eyes with keratoconus. METHODS: Retrospective study of 36 eyes 7.2 years after EKP. Four eyes underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and were excluded from further evaluation. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) values were obtained from 32 eyes, corneal refraction and astigmatism from 23 eyes, surface asymmetry index (SAI) and surface regularity index (SRI) from 17 consecutive eyes that were operated upon after 1991, when the Tomey Topographic Modeling System became available. RESULTS: Only four eyes needed PKP. In addition to EKP six eyes had compression sutures and/or relaxing incisions, and one eye underwent photorefractive keratectomy. Mean refractive power of the cornea decreased from 51.8 to 45.8 and astigmatism from 7.2 to 3.8. SAI improved from 3.2 to 0.9 and SRI from 3.7 to 0.9. Mean BCVA was 0.3 preoperatively and 0.6 upon last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: EKP was able to render PKP unnecessary in 32 of 36 eyes during the entire observation period. It was successful in permanently flattening the ectatic cornea and reducing astigmatism while restoring a symmetrical and smooth corneal surface. As a result, visual acuity improved considerably. In view of the young age of keratoconus patients needing surgery, and the fact that the lifetime of full-thickness corneal grafts is limited, EKP should be considered a valuable alternative to PKP in contact-lens-intolerant cases of keratoconus without central scarring.
Subject(s)
Cornea/physiology , Corneal Topography , Epikeratophakia/physiology , Keratoconus/physiopathology , Keratoconus/surgery , Adult , Astigmatism/prevention & control , Cornea/surgery , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Keratoplasty, Penetrating , Refraction, Ocular/physiology , Retrospective Studies , Suture Techniques , Visual Acuity/physiologyABSTRACT
Corneal sensitivity was examined with the Draeger aesthesiometer in 8 patients after lamellar keratoplasty, 7 patients after epikeratophakia and 82 patients after photorefractive keratectomy. We examined 9 different points in each cornea. The corneal sensitivity of patients after lamellar keratoplasty was normal 1 year after operation. A correlation with the depth of the lamellar dissection was demonstrated. Patients with lamellar keratoplasty with pterygium showed a sensitivity decrease in the nasal parts of the lenticule even after one year. Three years after epikeratophakia the corneal center was still not sensitive. After photorefractive keratectomy of more than 10 D, corneal hyposensitivity was shown even 2 years after operation.
