Topical Anesthesia for Closed PKP vs Retrobulbar Anesthesia for Open-sky PKP
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2016-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) is an open-sky surgery that fundamentally has not changed for
more than 100 years. Because conventional PKP is associated with the potential for the
development of devastating complications such as expulsive suprachoroidal hemorrhage and
endophthalmitis, we modified the technique to one that is a closed surgery under topical
anesthesia with the anterior chamber maintained to achieve favorable results. Topical
anesthesia is an attractive alternative to traditional injection local anesthesia since the
potentially serious complications associated with retrobulbar and peribulbar anesthesia can
be avoided. The closed PKP procedure with the stable anterior chamber essentially changes the
open nature of conventional PKP. The advantages, i.e., decreased surgical risks,
postoperative complications, and surgical difficulties, make PKP viable in most complicated
cases.