title: Excimer laser keratoplasty. Part 2: Elliptical keratoplasty.
abstract: An excimer laser at 193 nm was used with a new "open mask system" to perform elliptical noncontact and nonthermal keratoplasties and corneal grafts in human cadaver eyes (Part 1 of this article, Ophthalmic Surg 1989; 20:262-267). By light microscopy the corneas showed sharp, unbeveled cut margins with nearly perfect apposition of the inner wound aspects. An elliptical shape may be better than a circular one, since the former closely approximates the cornea's normal elliptical outline, making it easier to fit corresponding areas of corneal graft to bed. Also, it provides a wider area of Bowman's membrane for anchoring sutures and relatively less volume of donor antigenic tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, West Germany.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanoff
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Naumann
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D013537:Sutures