title: Automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty (ALTK) in the treatment of anterior to mid-stromal corneal pathologies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty (ALTK) in the treatment of anterior to mid-stromal corneal pathologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective clinical study was undertaken in 15 eyes of 15 patients who underwent ALTK using the ALTK System (Moria/Microtek Inc., Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA). The parameters evaluated were uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), keratometry, pachymetry, contrast sensitivity, glare acuity, intraoperative surgical time and complications, postoperative time to epithelialization, graft clarity and postoperative complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean surgical time was 46 +/- 9 mins. The BCVA, contrast sensitivity and glare acuity significantly improved at 6 months postoperatively. The mean decimal BCVA was 0.08 +/- 0.03 preoperatively, which improved to 0.33 +/- 0.30 at 6 months, when 11 eyes had BCVA > or = 6/18. The median epithelialization time was 3 days (range 1-10 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty appears to be safe and effective for diseases affecting the anterior to mid-stroma of the cornea.
authors.affiliation: Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, India. rasikvajpayee@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Rasik B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Vajpayee
authors.forename: Nagaraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vasudendra
authors.forename: Jeewan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Titiyal
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: Namrata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity