Epikeratophakia for the treatment of keratoconus.

We have modified the technique of epikeratophakia to produce flattening of the keratoconus cornea and facilitate contact lens or spectacle correction of visual acuity. The epithelium was removed from the recipient cornea, and an epikeratophakia graft of uniform thickness was sutured tightly in place. The graft flattened the cone and markedly decreased the amount of irregular astigmatism. After surgery, our six patients have shown reduced myopia and cylinder and have little, if any, of the irregular astigmatism characteristic of keratoconus. These results are preliminary, and only long-term study of these and other similar cases can establish the safety and efficacy of this procedure.