Keratoplasty Interlayer

Interlayer keratoplasty

Interlayer keratoplasty (k. intralamellaris; synonym for intralamellar) is one of the types of keratoplasty in which a corneal transplant is placed between the layers of the recipient’s own cornea.

This method is used for diseases that affect individual layers of the cornea (epithelium, stroma, endothelium). The surgeon layers the patient's cornea, removes the diseased layer, and replaces it with a matching healthy layer of donor cornea. In this way, only the diseased layer is replaced, while maintaining the healthy layers of the patient’s own cornea.

The advantage of interlaminar keratoplasty is a lower risk of graft rejection and better vision restoration compared to complete penetrating keratoplasty. This method preserves the immunological benefits of the recipient's cornea.