PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY WITH DONOR AND RECIPIENT CORNEAS OF THE SAMEDIAMETER

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was conducted to inves tigate the effect of penetrating keratoplasty (PK) with donor and reci pient corneas of equal diameter on astigmatism, corneal curvature, and spherical equivalent. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 89 eyes of 86 consecutive patients who underwent PK with donor and recipient corneas of equal diameter were studied. The surgical techniques were performe d using the Hanna suction punch block (endothelial cut) with the treph ine system, and a single running 16-bite 10-0 nylon suture. Sixteen ey es underwent a triple procedure (PK, extracapsular cataract extraction , and intraocular lens [IOL] insertion) and 14 eyes underwent PK with sulcus fixation of a posterior chamber IOL. Follow-up ranged from 12 t o 30 months (mean +/- SD 17.5 +/- 4.7). The sutures were removed at ap proximately 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The postoperative asti gmatism ranged from 0.4 to 10.8 D (mean +/- SD 4.5 +/- 2.8), as evalua ted by a computer-assisted videokeratograph topography unit. Twenty-se ven eyes (30.3%) achieved a refractive error (spherical equivalent) wi thin +/-1.5 D of emmetropia. The mean postoperative refractive error ( spherical equivalent) was -0.1 +/- 3.5 D (range -6.75 to +7.25). No wo und dehiscences or glaucoma was noted during the follow-up. CONCLUSION :The Hanna suction system creates a sharp, deep, and perpendicular cut on both button cornea and host cornea, making it possible to use dono r and recipient corneas of the same diameter in PK with good clinical and refractive results, particularly for myopic (keratoconus) patients .