Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.51(8) > 1008611

Jung, Choi, Na, Chung, Tchah, Kim, and Joo: Comparison of Outcomes of Femtosecond Laser-assisted Keratoplasty and Conventional Penetrating Keratoplasty

Abstract

Purpose

To compare the outcomes of IntraLase femtosecond laser-enabled keratoplasty (IEK) versus conventional penetrating keratoplasty (C-PKP).

Methods

This retrospective study included 18 eyes of 17 patients who underwent C-PKP and 26 eyes of 25 patients who underwent IEK. Postoperative clinical results were compared between two groups.

Results

The mean logMAR best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was 0.70, 0.58, and 0.61 in the IEK group, and 1.06, 1.01, and 0.90 in the C-PKP group at postoperative 2, 4, and 6 months respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant at 2 and 4 months postoperatively (p=0.033, 0.011). The mean refractive cylinder was 4.08 diopters (D), 4.01D, and 4.44D in the IEK group, while 5.75D, 5.75D, and 5.21D in the C-PKP group for each month, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant at 2 and 4 months postoperatively (p=0.037, 0.027). The complication rate showed no significant differences up to 6 months of follow-up between the two groups.

Conclusions

The IEK showed better results in BSCVA and refractive astigmatism in the early postoperative period, in comparison with the C-PKP, and can be considered as a valuable method in penetrating keratoplasty.

References

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Figure 1.
Illustration of the 4 wound configurations created in this study by the IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty (IEK) software: traditional, straight vertical cut (A), Top hat (B), musch-room (C), Z-square (D).
jkos-51-1054f1.tif
Figure 2.
Postoperative changes of logMAR mean best-spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) after IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty (IEK) versus conventional penetrating keratoplasty (C-PKP); Postoperative BSCVA improved gradually in both groups. BSCVA in IEK group was better than C-PKP group postoperatively, but the differences between two groups were statistically significant at 2 months (p=0.033), and 4 months (p=0.011) postoperatively. The statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test. A P-value less than 0.05 is statistically significant.
jkos-51-1054f2.tif
Figure 3.
The cylinder measured using autorefractor in both groups of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty (IEK) and conventional penetrating keratoplasty (C-PKP) at 2, 4 and 6 months postoperatively. The refractive cylinder showed lower value in IEK during follow up periods, and the difference was statistically significant at 2 months (p=0.037), and 4 months (p=0.027) postoperatively (A). The keratometric cylinder measured using manual keratometer showed lower value in IEK than C-PKP, but the difference was not statistically significant during follow up periods (B). The statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test. A P-value less than 0.05 is statistically significant.
jkos-51-1054f3.tif
Figure 4.
Anterior segment photographs of the patients at 1 month after surgery show the clear central cornea with well attached peripheral flange in Intralase-enabled keratoplasty (vertical cut) (A), and moderately edematous cornea with well attached graft in conventional penetrating keratoplasty (B).
jkos-51-1054f4.tif
Figure 5.
Two months postoperatively, Visante optical coherence tomography of Intralase-enabled keratoplasty (vertical type) (A), demonstrating the perfect match of the recipient to the donor. In contrast, conventional penetrating keratoplasty (B) may show the lack of precise match of cut between the two pieces of tissues and protrusions such as hills.
jkos-51-1054f5.tif
Table 1.
Summary of preoperative and intraoperative characteristics in the two study groups, IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty and conventional penetrating keratoplasty
  IEK* (n=26) C-PKP (n=18) P value
Proportion of males 13 (50.0%) 7 (39.0%) 0.467
Proportion of right eye 13 (50.0) 9 (50.0%) 1.000
Age (yr) 52.6 ± 16.7 61.4 ± 13.6 0.644
Mean preop BSCVA (log MAR) 1.61 ± 0.50 1.54 ± 0.64 0.699
Mean preop IOP§ (mmHg) 13.4 ± 3.0 15.12 ± 5.28 0.132
Donor trephine size (mm) 8.46 ± 0.33 8.25 ± 0.29 0.125
Recipient trephine size (mm) 8.16 ± 0.35 8.08 ± 0.17 0.169
Oversize (mm) 0.29 ± 0.06 0.28 ± 0.08 0.371

* IEK=IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty

C-PKP=conventional penetrating keratoplasty

BSCVA=best spectacle-corrected visual acuity

§ IOP=intraocular pressure

p Value: Statistical differences between group of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty, conventional penetrating keratoplasty were performed by Fisher's exact test for categorical data and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables. A P-value less than 0.05 is statistically significant. Values are expressed as mean ± SD (standard deviation) for continuous variables.

Table 2.
The indications of transplants in the two groups, IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty and conventional penetrating keratoplasty
  IEK* (n=26) C-PKP (n=18) P value
Bullous keratopathy 9 (34.6%) 4 (22.2%) 0.514
Corneal scar 13 (50.0%) 10 (55.6%) 0.428
Keratoconus 1 (3.8%) 2 (11.1%) 0.555
Graft failure 3 (11.5%) 2 (11.1%) 1.000

* IEK=IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty

C-PKP=conventional penetrating keratoplasty

p Value: Statistical differences between group of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty, conventional penetrating keratoplasty were performed by Fisher's exact test. A P-value less than 0.05 is statistically significant.

Table 3.
Comparison of outcomes of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty and conventional penetrating keratoplasty
    IEK* (n=26) C-PKP (n=18) P value
Mean BSCVA (logMAR) Postop 6 months 0.61 ± 0.46 0.90 ± 0.42 0.083
Mean IOP§ (mmHg)   15.47 ± 4.76 14.92 ± 4.27 0.730
Corneal thickness (μ m)   563.10 ± 106.20 581.80 ± 102.44 0.632
Mean spherical equivalent (diopters)   0.02 ± 4.46 −0.29 ± 3.93 0.835
Mean refractive cylinder (diopters)   4.44 ± 2.90 5.21 ± 2.55 0.425
Keratometric cylinder (diopters)   5.50 ± 3.10 5.96 ± 2.97 0.672
Keratometric reading (diopters)   42.84 ± 1.82 42.27 ± 3.96 0.579
Number of the eyes with measurable autrorefractive value, other than “error” (proportion) Postop 1 day 6 (23.0%) 1 (0.06%) 0.046
n Postop 1 week 10 (38.4%) 4 (22.22%) 0.256
Postop 1 month 18 (69.2%) 7 (38.89%) 0.051
Postop 6 months 24 (92.3%) 15 (83.3%) 0.319

* IEK = IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty

C-PKP = conventional penetrating keratoplasty

BSCVA = best spectacle-corrected visual acuity

§ IOP = intraocular pressure

p Value: Statistically significant differences between group of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty, conventional penetrating keratoplasty (p<0.05) by Fisher's exact test for categorical data and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables were marked in bold strokes. Values are expressed as mean±SD (standard deviation) for continuous variables.

Table 4.
Complications of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty and conventional penetrating keratoplasty
  IEK* (n=26) C-PKP (n=18) P value
Graft failure 2 (7.6%) 3 (16.7%) 0.356
Induced glaucoma 1 (3.8%) 2 (11.1%) 0.347
Choroidal detachment 1 (5.6%) 0.224
Infectious keratitis 1 (3.8%) 0.400

* IEK=IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty

C-PKP=conventional penetrating keratoplasty

P Value=Statistical differences between group of IntraLase-enabled keratoplasty, conventional penetrating keratoplasty were performed by Fisher's exact test. A P-value less than 0.05 is statistically significant.

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