[Experimental-clinical substantiation of the use of micro-lamellar keratotomy combined with kerato-thermocoagulation in the correction of hypermetropia].

The article describes the methods for the correction of hypermetropia, i.e. micro-lamellar keratotomy (MLK) and MLK plus thermokeratocoagulation (MLKTKC). The experiment was made on 6 rabbits (12 eyes). Lamellar corneal incisions were implemented by ALK ACS system (USA) to a depth of 73-75% of the corneal thickness. Simultaneously, thermokeratocoagulation (TKC) to 80% of the corneal thickness was made in a part of animals in meridians 6, 8, 10 and 12 (an 8 mm optic zone and 3 to 4 coagulates in each meridian). Postoperatively, the keratometric data were evaluated in 1, 3 and 6 months. The corneal optic power went up, postoperatively, in the center by around 4.0 diopters in cases, when the common surgical technique was used, and it went up to 5.0-9.0 diopters, when the common technique was combined with TKC. A clinical approbation of the MLK and MLKTKC methods in adults with hypermetropia (44 operations, mean age 29.3 years) showed their efficiency and safety. The corneal refraction improvement ranged from 3.5 diopters to 7.5 diopters (mean 4.49 +/- 0.89 diopters). The developed method of the above surgeries (the diameter of the modeled optic zone is 5 mm, the lamellar depth incision is 73%) prevents the complications, which lead to irreversible changes of the cornea; besides, it makes it possible to preserve a sufficiently wide central optic zone with a present refraction. This study provided a foundation for the clinical use of the method in pediatric practice.