[Epikeratophakia surgery for refractive errors and keratoconus].

Epikeratophakia surgery is a relatively new surgical technique which involves suturing of prelathed corneal tissue on top of the recipient's cornea. The epikeratophakia lens is lathed according to the recipient's refractive needs and therefore can correct myopia and hyperopia; a plano lenticle can be used to correct keratoconus. In the past 3 years we operated on 25 patients (27 eyes). There were 11 cases of myopia, 7 of aphakia and 7 of keratoconus. The aphakic (hyperopic) group included patients with aphakia and traumatic aphakia in whom secondary implantation of an intraocular lens was contraindicated or who were contact-lens intolerant. In the myopic group, the average correction of 18.3 diopters improved to -1.9 diopters after surgery, and in the hyperopic-aphakic group from +10.9 diopters to +1.1 diopters. In the keratoconus group there was also marked improvement after surgery. There was no major complication during or after surgery. Epikeratophakia surgery is a reversible, extraocular procedure, which is fairly simple technically, does not cause immunological rejection, and gives fairly good results in certain refractive errors and in keratoconus.