Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments keratoplasty
(CAIRS)
Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments keratoplasty or CAIRS keratoplasty is the latest and most advanced corneal sparing operation for keratoconus.
Crystal Eye and Laser Centre is the pioneer of this procedure in Perth and Western Australia. We have performed the first and most amount of CAIRS keratoplasty procedures in WA.
In CAIRS keratoplasty highly specialised and customised and accurate tunnels are created in the keratoconic cornea by the
Visumax 800 Femtosecond laser.
Prepared corneal transplant tissue in the shape of half circles are then placed in the prepared tunnels.
The extra corneal transplant tissue works twofold:
- It flattens the steep cone and causes a regularisation of the keratoconic cornea
- It bulks up the thinned out part of the cornea that bulges in keratoconus
How is CAIRS keratoplasty performed?
- CAIRS keratoplasty tunnels are created with the Femtosecond laser at a precise angle and depth in the keratoconic cornea
- The CAIRS keratoplasty tunnel creation is completely painless and invisible to the patient
- The CAIRS keratoplasty tunnel is then carefully opened with specialised dissectors
- The specially prepared corneal transplant tissue segment is carefully placed inside the tunnel
Benefits of CAIRS keratoplasty
- The patient retains his or her own cornea
- It has a greater effect than traditional acrylic rings
- It is biocompatible tissue that does not cause scarring in the cornea
- The whole procedure is reversable
- CAIRS keratoplasty is adjustable
- The segments can be personalised to give a customised treatment
- CAIRS keratoplasty improves vision without glasses significantly
- CAIRS keratoplasty regularised and treat keratoconus to help patients see significantly better with glasses
- After CAIRS keratoplasty, topographical laser eye surgery can be performed to further improve vision.
A customised CAIRS keratoplasty segment in the left cornea. This patient is seeing 20/20 again after CIARS keratoplasty. Prior to CAIRS keratoplasty he was only seeing 20/100 **
** Individual outcomes may differ
The preoperative corneal topography appearance of the eye prior to CAIRS keratoplasty. Note the central cornea is extremely irregular. The red area indicates a steep cornea due to a cone from keratoconus
The post-operative corneal topography appearance of the eye after CAIRS keratoplasty. Note the central cornea is significantly flattened and the central cornea regular. The red area indicates a the CAIRS segment which is invisible for the patient.
Scan of the cornea indicating a perfectly placed CAIRS keratoplasty segment
Natural Corneal transplant tissue is used in CAIRS keratoplasty
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