Outcomes of Single Segment Implantation of Conventional Intacs versus Intacs SK for Keratoconus

Purpose: to compare the visual,refractive,and keratometric outcomes of single-segment conventional and severe keratoconus (sk) types of intacs for correction of inferior keratoconus (kcn). methods: a total number of 41 consecutive eyes of 23 patients with a diagnosis of inferior kcn underwent intacs implantation. eight eyes were excluded due to postoperative complications (4 eyes) and loss to follow-up (4 eyes) and finally 33 eyes underwent statistical analysis. two groups were created according to intacs type insertion; conventional group (17 eyes) and sk groups (16 eyes). intracorneal ring segments (icrs) implantation was indicated in keratoconic patients with contact-lens intolerance or reduced best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (bscva). results: in the conventional group,mean uncorrected distance visual acuity (ucdva) improved from 0.45 ± 0.41 preoperatively to 0.69 ± 0.39 six months after surgery representing a gain of 2 snellen lines,and in the sk group mean ucdva changed from 0.40 ± 0.35 preoperatively to 0.58 ± 0.48 equivalent to two snellen lines improvement 6 months after operation (p = 0.48). mean preoperative bscva in the conventional group improved from 0.72 ± 0.41 to 0.86 ± 0.39 (2 lines improvement) postoperatively and in the sk group improved from 0.71 ± 0.69 to 0.75 ± 0.45 (0.50 line improvement) (