Challenge
The challenge in performing a penetrating keratoplasty (PK) is to place the sutures for donor cornea fixation in a way that no additional postoperative iatrogenic astigmatism is induced, preventing persistent vision deterioration.
One option, which proved itself throughout the history of corneal transplantation, is to fixate the corneal transplant through a running cross stitch suture – the double running crossed diagonal suture by Hoffmann with 2 x 8 bites.
As the name suggests, the challenges of this suture technique lie in the precision required to exactly place the stitches. In addition, the technique requires a precise visual estimate for gauging the dimensions, which is often associated with a shallow (long and tedious) training curve. Therefore the desired results are not always achieved.
Advantages of the instrument
- Präzise Markierung der Ein- und Ausstichstellen
- Homogene fortlaufende Kreuzstichnaht
- Hohe Reproduzierbarkeit
- Steile (kurze) Lernkurve
- Hohe Sicherheit für den Operateur durch die Unabhängigkeit vom Augenmaß
- Astigmatismusneutral
- Reduzierte Gefahr eines vertikalen Verkippens oder einer horizontalen Torsion der Spendercornea beim Einnähen
- Hohe topografische Regularität(Regulärer Astigmatismus)
- Geringere Rate von Fadenlockerungen
- Frühe visuelle Rehabilitation
- Reduktion klaffender innerer und äußerer Wundränder
- Reduzierte Rate einer postoperativen Fadennachlegung
