Conductive keratoplasty to correct hyperopic astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of conductive keratoplasty in the treatment of pre-existing and surgically induced hyperopic astigmatism.

METHODS

In this prospective, noncomparative case series, four eyes of four subjects, two female and two male (age 25 to 47 yr) were treated for hyperopia (up to +5.50 D) and hyperopic astigmatism (up to +5.75 D) with the Refractec ViewPoint conductive keratoplasty system. The follow-up period was 6 months. Uncorrected and spectacle-corrected visual acuity, manifest and cycloplegic refraction, and videokeratographs were obtained before and after surgery. We treated two patients who had already had LASIK, one of them with a decentered ablation and the other with flap striae, one patient after PRK, and one patient with keratoconus.

RESULTS

No complications were observed. No eye lost lines of spectacle-corrected visual acuity. All eyes showed improvement of uncorrected visual acuity of 3 or more lines. Videokeratographs demonstrated improved centration and reduction in keratometric power readings. Each eye was analyzed separately, including a comparative analysis of the proposed nomograms and quality of vision after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Conductive keratoplasty may be a minimally invasive solution for patients with irregular hyperopic astigmatism, offering improved quality of vision in instances of flap striae by tightening the central cornea.