Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty for Recurrence of Granular Corneal Dystrophy in Postkeratoplasty Eyes.
OBJECTIVE
To report the clinical and visual outcome of sutureless femtosecond laser-assisted anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FALK) for recurrent granular corneal dystrophy (GCD) in patients who had previously undergone penetrating keratoplasty and phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) performed for recurrent dystrophy in the grafted eyes.


METHODS
Four eyes of 4 patients who underwent FALK for recurrence of GCD in previously grafted eyes and underwent PTK performed for initial recurrence in the grafts were included. Patients who had undergone FALK for other indications were excluded. The patients were evaluated for preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA), and intraoperative and postoperative complications. Visual outcomes and complications, if any, were noted.


RESULTS
FALK was uneventful in all 4 eyes. At last follow-up, BCVA improved by >2 lines in all eyes. Myopic shift in the refractive error was noted in 2 eyes. None of the eyes had any intraoperative or postoperative complications. One case had dissection margins cross the graft-host junction; however, no dehiscence occurred in this case. The grafts were clear at the last follow-up examinations.


CONCLUSIONS
FALK is a safe and effective technique for the management of recurrence of GCD in post-penetrating keratoplasty and post-PTK eyes. BCVA improved by >2 lines after the FALK procedure. None of the patients in this series had any intraoperative or postoperative complications, which was indicative of the safety of the procedure.
Tej Kohli Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Kallam Anji Reddy Campus, Hyderabad, India.
Mukesh
M
Taneja
Varsha M
VM
Rathi
Somasheila I
SI
Murthy
Bhupesh
B
Bagga
Pravin Krishna
PK
Vaddavalli
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser / Q000379:methods*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D014019:Tissue Donors; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology