Superficial anterior lamellar keratoplasty: description of technique and presentation of results

Abstract

The indications of SALK include the pathologies limited to anterior one-third of the corneal stroma (Table 4-1), such as in: • Post keratitis scars (Figure 4-1): Keratitis could heal with either a nebular, macular, or leucomatous opacity. This technique could be very useful for such scars that are limited to the anterior one-third of the stromal depth. • Post-traumatic scars: Trauma could also result in scars or opacities limited to the anterior layers of the cornea. The aforementioned techniques in such cases could minimize the risk of suture-related complications and provide a quick visual rehabilitation in such cases. • Salzmann nodular degeneration: The degenerative changes are limited to the superficial layers of the cornea and a SALK comes handy in these cases to restore the vision. • Epithelial-stromal TGFBI dystrophies (Figure 4-2): The pathology in these cases remains limited to the epithelium or the anterior stroma in depth. The opacities are quite superficial, rendering them easily amenable to SALK. TABLE 4-1