Keratoplasty

Cornea transplant

In certain diseases with thick scaring, the cornea is so cloudy that the patient’s own cornea must be exchanged for a transplant. In addition to the PTK in which cloudy areas can be removed from the surface layer with the Excimer Laser, a layer (lamellar) transplant can also be used to treat such diseases. This highly precisely procedure is performed in the clinic with the femtosecond laser. The extremely accurate laser technology permits very exact tissue removal at any depth.

If the changes are more evident in the very deep areas and the back of the cornea, a penetrating transplant must be performed. Until recently, these surgeries were conducted exclusively with mechanical instruments. Since July 2005, however, we can offer this operation with the femtosecond laser. The first penetrating keratoplasties worldwide using the femtosecond laser (Femtec) were performed here at the clinic. Highly precise laser incisions and shapes can be selected here as well, permitting a more customized treatment.

The following parameters are characteristic of this procedure, meaning that it differs substantially from conventional methods:

• Full visual control is maintained during the operation
• Incision is made from the inside of the tissue to the outside moving upwards,
• thus creating less mechanical stress on the endothelial cells
• Any transplant size between 4 and 9.5 mm can be chosen
• Incision can be configured as desired, i.e. great variability of shapes

Femtosecond laser technology is suitable not just for treatment of the transparent corneal tissue, but can also be used for extremely precise applications on scarred corneal tissue.