Sterile excimer laser shaped allograft corneal inlay for hyperopia: One-year clinical results in 28 eyes

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the one-year clinical results of an allograft corneal inlay (ACI) implantation in a case series of 28 hyperopic eyes of 16 patients. Methods: Patients with manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) between +1.00 and +6.00 D and having a cylindrical refraction of less than 1 D were included in this prospective study. The refractive powers of excimer laser-shaped ACIs were determined based on the refractive error of the individual subject's eyes. After the creation of a femtosecond flap, the inlays were centered on the pupillary axis. Visual acuities, refractive results, and other clinical findings were reported for the 6- and 12-month follow-up exams. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 36.2 +/- 12.4 years (range 22-65 years). The mean pre-operative MSRE of 3.6 +/- 1.51 D decreased to 0.21 +/- 0.56 D (P < .001). The uncorrected distance and near visual acuity increased from 0.33 +/- 0.22 and 0.17 +/- 0.13 to 0.75 +/- 0.22 (P < .001) and 0.72 +/- 0.19 (P < .001), respectively. The corrected distance visual acuity remained unchanged (pre-OP: 0.79 +/- 0.22; post-OP: 0.80 +/- 0.21; P = .916), and the corrected near visual acuity increased from 0.78 +/- 0.22 to 0.84 +/- 0.20 (P = .003). The mean K-value and central corneal thickness increased from 42.57 +/- 0.81 D and 557.5 +/- 43.0 mu m to 44.8 +/- 1.4 D (P < .001) and 597.1 +/- 58.1 mu m (P < .001), respectively. No significant postoperative complications such as diffuse lamellar keratitis, epithelial ingrowth, or decentralization were observed. Conclusion: Excimer laser-shaped ACI offers an alternative treatment modality for patients with hyperopia. Acceptable visual results and similar regression rates were observed with ACI implantation compared with other laser refractive procedures.