Murat Mercanlı, Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) anatomical and functional results

In our study, the data of 120 patients with DALK indication in Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Ophthalmology Department and operated with this indication between January 2015 and June 2021 were compiled. In the study, demographic data, surgical indications, intra-operative complications, post-operative complications, post-operative treatments, pre-operative and post-operative visual acuity data, data obtained from autorefractometry and data obtained from corneal topography were recorded. The mean age of the patients included in the study was 31.5 years and the male sex ratio was 51.7%. In the intraoperative period, PK was applied in 15.8% of the cases. It was determined that the most effective factors on the application of intraoperative PK were the type of dissection and the development of macro perforation. The most common complications in patients who underwent DALK were found to be double anterior chamber development (9.9%) and premature suture loosening (7.9%). In the postoperative period, it was observed that cataracts developed in eight patients, glaucoma developed in six patients, and a total of seven patients underwent PK. There was no significant difference between the groups in refraction and keratometry values obtained from autorefractometry in the postoperative period (p>0.05). In the postoperative period, simK1 value measured in corneal topography was found to be lower in the dystrophy group compared to both the keratoconus group and the herpes group, but it was not found significant (p=0.133). SimK2 value was found to be significantly higher in the keratoconus group than in the other groups (p=0.010). According to the data we obtained as a result of the study, it is of great importance to follow the patients in the postoperative period according to both clinical examination, autorefractometer and corneal topography data. Particularly, when cataract surgery is performed after DALK, one should be very careful and careful, otherwise the graft is likely to be damaged during the operation.