Effects of femtosecond laser-assisted minimally invasive lamellar keratoplasty (FL-MILK) on mild-to-moderate and advanced keratoconus

Purpose To compare the outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted minimally invasive lamellar keratoplasty (FL-MILK) for mild-to-moderate keratoconus (KC) and advanced KC. Methods Prospective case series study. Sixty-three eyes of 56 patients with progressive KC underwent FL-MILK were divided into group 1 [mean keratometry (Kmean) ≤ 53D] and group 2 (Kmean > 53D). Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), Kmean, maximum keratometry (Kmax), anterior central corneal elevation (ACE), stiffness parameter A1 (SP-A1) and deformation amplitude (DA) were evaluated preoperatively and up to 24 months postoperatively. Results Mean BSCVA improved from 0.34 ± 0.13 logMAR preoperatively to 0.25 ± 0.13 logMAR at 24 months postoperatively in group 1 ( F = 10.10, P