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Full Thickness Corneal Transplantation with the Femtosecond Laser

Indications

This type of corneal transplant is performed when both the front and back layers of the cornea are abnormal.

Procedure

This surgery is very similar to standard penetrating keratoplasty (PK). The main difference is that the wound can be custom designed. In standard PK, the wound is created with a circular cookie cutter-type blade. The femtosecond laser can create a wound that is wider at the base or wider at the top or with a zigzag type pattern.

Potential advantages include faster healing, a stronger wound and less astigmatism.

Disadvantages include a longer surgical procedure and the fact that the visual results are not that different from standard PK. Corneal transplantation with the femtosecond laser is performed using local or general anesthesia in the laser center and then the operating room.