Epikeratophakia: the surgical correction of aphakia. Update: 1982

Ophthalmology. 1983 Jun;90(6):668-72. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(83)34516-4.

Abstract

Sixty-five epikeratophakia procedures have been performed in 63 patients; visual acuity data have been tabulated on 31 patients with 4 to 30 months follow-up. Patients with more than a year of follow-up showed stable keratometry readings. Early patients achieved 70% of the predicted dioptric correction; more recent patients have achieved 87% with improvements in the lathing procedure, tissue handling, and surgical technique. Visual acuities improve with time. At any given time after surgery, acuities measured with a hard contact lens are better than those measured with spectacles; the decrease in spectacle acuity is probably a result of irregular refraction at the graft surface. The gap between contact lens and spectacle acuity decreases with time. A number of patients achieve postoperative visual acuities better than their preoperative acuities, and most achieve final spectacle acuities within a line or two of their preoperative acuities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aphakia, Postcataract / therapy*
  • Contact Lenses
  • Cornea / surgery
  • Corneal Transplantation*
  • Eyeglasses
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft Rejection
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Visual Acuity