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Fresh Corneal Lenticule Implantation in Keratoconus Disease with Relex Smile Surgery 12 months-long-term results

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First Author: F.Semiz KOSOVO

Co Author(s):    A. Syla Lokaj   N. Hima Musa   C. Semiz   O. Semiz           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Our study aims to examine the effectiveness and feasibility of myopic fresh lenticule implantation using VisuMax Femtosecond Laser Smile surgery in patients diagnosed with keratoconus disease and to demonstrate that it provides long term corneal thickness and visual acuity by decreasing the K values.

Setting:

Eye Hospital, Prishtina,Kosova

Methods:

All the recipient patients were clinically diagnosed with progressive keratoconus. Twenty myopic eyes underwent SMILE surgery (first group), and 20 eyes underwent fresh lenticule implantation (lenticule group). Visual acuity, corneal topography, and anterior segment optical coherence tomography were analyzed.

Results:

The central corneal thickness considerably increased on the same day of the implantation surgery, and the visual acuity started to improve 1-week postoperatively. The central corneal thickness was still preserved after 1-year follow-up without any signs of rejection. Corneal topography showed a statistically minimal decrease in the anterior K1 and K2. All the graphs from both groups were visible by anterior segment optical coherence tomography observation with a positive connection between donor and recipient cornea. No complications were observed during the long-term follow-up.

Conclusions:

Our study shows that the implantation of fresh myopic lenticule, which contains live stromal stem cells and live keratocytes, effectively and safely increases the central corneal thickness and the vision with long term sustainability with no adverse effects in keratoconus eyes. Thus, the results state that the fresh lenticule implantation in keratoconus patients is a new reliable technique.

Financial Disclosure:

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