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Penetrating keratoplasty with femtosecond laser is ‘promising’
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SAO PAULO, Brazil — Penetrating keratoplasty using a femtosecond laser has yielded “promising results” in a handful of human clinical cases performed to date, according to a presenter here.
Francis W. Price Jr., MD, told attendees at an IntraLase-sponsored symposium during the World Ophthalmology Congress that initial results of what he termed “advanced PK” with the IntraLase FS 160 kHz femtosecond laser have been encouraging.
The laser allows donor and recipient tissue to be “easily harvested,” even when the tissue is edematous, Dr. Price said.
To date, 16 advanced PK procedures have been performed by five surgeons, Dr. Price said. Along with Dr. Price, William W. Culbertson, MD; Sonia H. Yoo, MD; Eduardo C. Alfonso, MD; and Roger F. Steinert, MD, have performed the procedure with the IntraLase.
In the laser PK technique, first an outer vertical cut is performed, followed by a horizontal doughnut-shaped lamellar stromal dissection, followed by an inner vertical cut, Dr. Price said.
Advanced PK “combines the versatility of IntraLase wound construction and the more secure vertical wound healing in LASIK with the clarity of full thickness PKP,” he said. “Early results for a shaped PK procedure are promising.”
Dr. Price said he believes the versatile IntraLase technology will enable surgeons to devise new applications for the laser, including deep lamellar dissection, pocket creation for corneal inlays and astigmatic keratotomy.
“This is an exciting time in corneal surgery, with new ideas and new capabilities,” Dr. Price said.
IntraLase introduced the 160 kHz version of its femtosecond laser here during the conference.