Correction of hyperopia by intrastromal cutting and liquid filler injection

Correction of hyperopia requires an increase of the refractive power by steepening of the corneal surface. Present refractive surgical techniques based on corneal ablation (LASIK) or intrastromal lenticule extraction (SMILE) are problematic due to epithelial regrowth. Recently, it was shown that correction of low hyperopia can be achieved by implanting intracorneal inlays or allogeneic lenticules. We demonstrate a steepening of the anterior corneal surface after injection of a transparent, liquid filler material into a laser-dissected intrastromal pocket. We performed the study on ex-vivo porcine eyes. The increase of the refractive power was evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT). For a circular pocket, injection of [Formula: see text] filler material increased the refractive power by [Formula: see text] diopters. An astigmatism correction is possible when ellipsoidal intrastromal pockets are created. Injection of [Formula: see text] filler material into an ellipsoidal pocket increased the refractive power by [Formula: see text] on the short and [Formula: see text] on the long axis. OCT will enable to monitor the refractive change during filler injection and is thus a promising technique for real-time dosimetry.