Anterior Lamellar versus Penetrating Keratoplasty
The purpose of corneal transplantation is to replace the pathological cornea of the eye with a normal clear cornea. In penetrating keratoplasty (PK) the full thickness of the cornea is replaced, while in anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) the corneal stroma is replaced down to the Descemet’s membrane, so that the healthy endothelium of the recipient is left intact. Although there are plenty of studies in the literature comparing the outcomes of ALK and PK, there is no consensus on which of them is the best procedure. The desired therapeutic outcomes of the two procedures are identical, but the benefits and the risk profile may be different. Replacing fewer layers of the cornea may reduce the likelihood of rejection and subsequent failure, since the endothelium is retained. However, other complications may arise, due to problems at the donor host junction.