Conductive keratoplasty to correct hyperopic astigmatism.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of conductive keratoplasty in the treatment of pre-existing and surgically induced hyperopic astigmatism.


METHODS
In this prospective, noncomparative case series, four eyes of four subjects, two female and two male (age 25 to 47 yr) were treated for hyperopia (up to +5.50 D) and hyperopic astigmatism (up to +5.75 D) with the Refractec ViewPoint conductive keratoplasty system. The follow-up period was 6 months. Uncorrected and spectacle-corrected visual acuity, manifest and cycloplegic refraction, and videokeratographs were obtained before and after surgery. We treated two patients who had already had LASIK, one of them with a decentered ablation and the other with flap striae, one patient after PRK, and one patient with keratoconus.


RESULTS
No complications were observed. No eye lost lines of spectacle-corrected visual acuity. All eyes showed improvement of uncorrected visual acuity of 3 or more lines. Videokeratographs demonstrated improved centration and reduction in keratometric power readings. Each eye was analyzed separately, including a comparative analysis of the proposed nomograms and quality of vision after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Conductive keratoplasty may be a minimally invasive solution for patients with irregular hyperopic astigmatism, offering improved quality of vision in instances of flap striae by tightening the central cornea.
Pallikaris
Ioannis G
IG
University of Crete, Medical School, Vardinoyannion Eye Institute of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Naoumidi
Tatiana L
TL
Astyrakakis
Nikos I
NI
D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000601:surgery*; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology