An innovative new procedure allows eye specialists at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to create customized corneal incisions for corneal transplants. 

Called Laser Assisted Keratoplasty (LAK), the advantages include:

• Fewer stitches
• Less induced astigmatism (a visual defect caused by the unequal curving of one or more of the refractive surfaces of the eye, usually the cornea)
• A faster restoration of vision

Kenneth Goins, MD, was the state’s first ophthalmologist to perform LAK in June 2007, according to Katie Charter, regional manager of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank.

The cornea is a transparent, dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye. It works with the lens to provide focusing power. If it becomes opaque, swollen or scarred, vision is compromised and a cornea transplant may be necessary.

Corneal transplantation is one of the most frequently performed transplant procedures and is more than 95 percent successful in restoring the recipient’s vision. 

LAK provides potential benefits that have not been possible with the current manual technique in cornea transplants. The new procedure allows doctors to create innovative, shaped incisions with secure grafts (transplanted tissue).

“For the first time, the laser can be used to precisely and accurately cut the exact size, shape, and depth of both the donor tissue and host tissue,” Goins says.

Partners in care

 The Iowa Lions Eye Bank is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and preserving sight through transplantation and research. It is the second eye bank in the nation to provide pre-cut LAK tissue to cornea surgeons like Goins. For more information, call 866-435-7733.

Become a donor

Anyone interested in becoming a corneal tissue donor should visit www.IowaDonorRegistry.org and share his or her decision with family members.