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- Title
Modified big-bubble technique compared to manual dissection deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty in the treatment of keratoconus.
- Authors
Knutsson, Karl Anders; Rama, Paolo; Paganoni, Giorgio
- Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the clinical findings and results of manual dissection deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty ( DALK) compared to a modified big-bubble DALK technique in eyes affected by keratoconus. Methods Sixty eyes of 60 patients with keratoconus were treated with one of the two surgical techniques manual DALK ( n = 30); big-bubble DALK ( n = 30). The main outcomes measured were visual acuity, corneal topographic parameters, thickness of residual stroma and endothelial cell density ( ECD). Patients were examined postoperatively at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 1 month after suture removal. Results Final best spectacle-corrected visual acuity ( BSCVA) measured 1 month after suture removal was 0.11 ± 0.08 Log MAR in the big-bubble group compared to 0.13 ± 0.08 in the manual DALK group (p = 0.227). In patients treated with the big-bubble technique without complications (Descemet's membrane completely bared), the stromal residue was not measureable. Mean stromal residual thickness in the manual DALK group was 30.50 ± 27.60 μm. Data analysis of the manual DALK group demonstrated a significant correlation between BSCVA and residual stromal thickness; lower residual stromal thickness correlated with better BSCVA values (Spearman ρ = 0.509, p = 0.018). Postoperative ECD was similar in both groups at all intervals, with no statistically significant differences. In both groups, ECD loss was only significant during the 1- to 6-month interval (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001 in the big-bubble DALK and manual DALK groups, respectively). Conclusion Manual DALK provides comparable results to big-bubble DALK. Big-bubble DALK permits faster visual recovery and is a surgical technique, which can be easily converted to manual DALK in cases of unsuccessful 'big-bubble' formation.
- Subjects
DISSECTION; CORNEA surgery; KERATOCONUS; OPERATIVE surgery; VISUAL acuity; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
Acta Ophthalmologica (1755375X), 2015, Vol 93, Issue 5, p431
- ISSN
1755-375X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/aos.12705