This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Newer techniques, instruments aid lamellar keratoplasty procedures
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
This issue’s installment marks Thomas “TJ” John, MD’s, 100th column as editor of Surgical Maneuvers for Ocular Surgery News. These instructive clinical features are a cornerstone of the publication and an aide to ophthalmic surgeons’ surgical practice. I would like to thank and congratulate TJ for his contribution to the publication and to the promotion of better surgical skills for ophthalmologists around the world.
Richard L. Lindstrom, MD , Chief Medical Editor
Lamellar keratoplasty offers a way to selectively exchange diseased or damaged corneal tissue with similar, healthy donor tissue, thus retaining the remainder of the patient’s corneal tissue. Lamellar keratoplasty encompasses both anterior and posterior lamellar keratoplasty, or ALK and PLK. Depending on the amount of corneal tissue being replaced, ALK can range from superficial to total, according to the John-Malbran ALK classification. PLK primarily includes endothelial keratoplasty, namely, Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty and Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty. Although these procedures are attractive to the patient, they pose several challenges to the operating surgeon. Helpful surgical techniques and advanced surgical instruments that are better suited for these procedures somewhat decrease the complexity and increase the overall success.
In this column, we shall focus primarily on two major lamellar keratoplasty procedures: deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty.
Click here to read the publication exclusive, Surgical Maneuvers, published in Ocular Surgery News U.S. Edition, February 10, 2015.