Femtosecond laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty; [Femtosekundenlaserassistierte perforierende Keratoplastik]

The femtosecond laser technique allows completely new trephination methods in penetrating keratoplasty with profiles in the graft and the host cornea. The most common so-called profiled trephinations are the top hat and mushroom profiles. Due to the profile it is easier to get a watertight wound closure intraoperatively and due to the larger wound surface the wound healing is faster and more stable. This will possibly allow an earlier suture removal with final visual rehabilitation. First clinical results show that femtosecond laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty is a safe surgical procedure. The long term results after complete suture removal will show whether the astigmatism results are better than those of conventional trephination techniques. © Springer-Verlag 2009.