Decagonal pKPL: shaping up to transplant success

Using a decagonal transplant shape in perforating keratoplasties (pKPL) delivers promising results, says Mark Tomalla from the Clinic for Refractive and Ophthalmic Surgery, Duisburg, Germany.

Dr Tomalla and colleagues have performed 30 pKPL procedures using the Femtec femtosecond laser (20/10 Perfect Vision) over the past two years and have been satisfied with the postoperative results. As a further development, however, the researchers wanted to investigate the optimal transplant shape.

Three pKPL procedures with a decagonal transplant shape have so far been carried out, demonstrating a fit precision of 1/100 mm on the recipient cornea. After two months mean astigmatisms were 2 D and have remained stable since. Fine Descemet folds were visible immediately after surgery but these disappeared after approximately two weeks.

Dr Tomalla believes that the use of non-circular transplant shapes, such as the decagonal shape, is a promising approach to pKPL.