New surgical strategy for corneal tattooing using a femtosecond laser.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to describe a new method of femtosecond (FS) laser-assisted corneal tattooing and to report the results of this method in a case series.


METHODS
The study involved 6 eyes of 6 patients with total or partial corneal opacity. An FS laser was used for lamellar dissection and to make a side cut with a hinge, creating a corneal flap. Laser parameters were adjusted depending on ocular condition and the location of the corneal opacity. After lifting the corneal flap, further lamellar dissection with a diamond blade was performed up to the periphery of the limbal area. Using a cannula, dye was injected into the lamellar stromal bed and the space of the lamellar dissected pocket in the limbus, after which the flap was repositioned.


RESULTS
The design and application of the FS laser for dissection and flap creation were successful in all cases. There were no significant complications other than an incomplete cut under band keratopathy in 1 eye. The cosmetic effects were satisfactory in all cases. No patient complained of pain for more than 1 day after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The advantages of the FS laser-assisted corneal tattooing include a customized design, speed, decreased pain, reduced risk of perforation, and good wound healing. This procedure provides improvements over current corneal tattooing techniques, although it is relatively expensive.
Kim
Jin-Hyoung
JH
Department of Ophthalmology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Ilsan-Ku, Goyang-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, Korea.
Lee
Doh
D
Hahn
Tae-Won
TW
Choi
Suk-Kyue
SK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013653:Tattooing / Q000379:methods*; D015349:Vision, Monocular