“Tuck In” Lamellar Keratoplasty (TILK) for Post-Keratoplasty Corneal Ectasia involving the Corneal Periphery Vishal Jhanji, MD 1,2 Jacqueline Beltz, MBBS, FRANZCO 2 Sonia Moorthy, MBChB 2 Rasik B Vajpayee, MS, FRCS (Edin), FRANZCO 2 1 The Chinese University of Hong Kong 2 Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Australia The authors have no financial interest in the subject matter of this poster

BACKGROUND Post-keratoplasty corneal ectasia has been known to occur many years after the primary surgery in cases with keratoconus The ectasia as well as thinning may involve the donor, graft host junction or the host tissue beyond the graft host junction, causing severe astigmatism and irregular corneal contour, making contact lens fitting very difficult

PURPOSE Repeat penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) involves use of a larger graft and its inherent complications like glaucoma and increased risk of endothelial rejection We describe Tuck-In Lamellar Kertaoplasty (TILK) for the surgical management of cases with post-PKP corneal ectasia beyond the graft- host junction

METHODS Retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients with that underwent TILK for post-PKP ectasia at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne Data collected included preoperative and postoperative UCVA, BCVA, endothelial cell density, keratometry, and endothelial cell density

METHODS: SURGICAL TECHNIQUE Donor Preparation A Hessburg Barron vacuum trephine was used to make an initial partial thickness groove of microns. The anterior lamellar disc was excised and a pocket was made circumferentially in the corneal periphery up to 0.5 mm posterior to the limbus Preparation of graft An initial partial thickness incision up to a depth of 300 microns was made using a mm trephine followed by a lamellar dissection peripheral to the trephine cut. Donor lenticule consisting of central mm full- thickness graft with a peripheral partial thickness flange of about 2.0 mm was fashioned

“TUCK IN” LAMELLAR KERATOPLASTY Flange of donor lenticule was tucked into peripheral intrastromal pocket of host

RESULTS

TILK was performed in four eyes of 3 patients with post-PKP corneal ectasia beyond the graft host junction The original indication for penetrating keratoplasty was keratoconus Average number of years since the original surgery was 25 ±13.63 (range: 10 to 43 years) The mean age of the patients was 34.3 (SD 11.84) years

RESULTS Mean follow-up period was 13 months (SD 7.74) (range 6-24 months) All the grafts were clear at the last follow-up visit and there was no evidence of ectasia Postoperatively, the UCVA, BCVA and keratometry improved significantly (p<0.05) [Table]

Preop UCVA Postop UCVA Preop BCVA Postop BCVA Preop Km (D) Postop Km (D) Preop ECD (/mm2) Postop ECD (/mm2) RESULTS (Average values)

CONCLUSIONS TILK can be successfully performed for post-penetrating keratoplasty corneal ectasia with peripheral corneal thinning

IMPORTANT READINGS Abelson M, Collin H, Gillette T, et al. Recurrent keratoconus after keratoplasty. Am J Ophthalmol 1980; 90:672–676 Kaushal S, Jhanji V, Sharma N, et al. "Tuck In" Lamellar Keratoplasty (TILK) for corneal ectasias involving corneal periphery. Br J Ophthalmol 2008; 92: Correspondence Prof Rasik B Vajpayee, MS, FRCS (Edin), FRANZCO Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne 32, Gisborne Street, East Melbourne Victoria 3002, Australia Tel: Fax: