EPIKERATOPHAKIA TO CORRECT TRAUMATIC APHAKIA AFTER PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY

A 19-year-old man with keratoconus sustained ocular trauma and became aphakic in his operated left eye 2 months after penetrating keratoplas ty. Original corneal wound repair was performed without intraocular le ns implantation. Attempts to correct his aphakia with a contact lens f ailed when the patient became intolerant to its use. As an alternative , the patient had elective epikeratophakia. A standard 8.5 mm lenticul e was placed over existing corneal graft. This operation resulted in 12.25 diopters of correction and a best corrected visual acuity of 20/ 25 at 30 months postoperatively. There was no sign of abnormalities at the host cornea or the transplanted lenticule. This case indicates th at epikeratophakia may be successfully performed over existing corneal grafts.