Confocal microscopy evaluation of the corneal response following AcuFocus KAMRA inlay implantation.

PURPOSE: To describe the corneal appearance on confocal microscopy after AcuFocus KAMRA Inlay (Acu- Focus, Inc., Irvine, CA) implantation and evaluate the visual acuity compared to the confocal microscopy data. METHODS: Twelve eyes of 12 patients implanted with one of three models of the AcuFocus KAMRA Inlay (ACI 7000, 7000T, and 7000PDT) were prospectively evaluated by confocal microscopy 6 months after implantation. Additionally, 4 eyes of 4 patients explanted during the follow-up period were evaluated. RESULTS: Among the eyes implanted, mean epithelial thickness was 54.6 ± 22 μm. The subbasal nerve plexus was detected in 10 patients. The corneal nerves per unit area were 2.73 ± 2.1 sprouts/mm2. The branch pattern was found in 8 patients. The mean keratocyte density value was 540 ± 210 cells/mm2. A low grade of keratocyte activation was found in all patients. Among the eyes explanted, the mean wound healing opacity was 1,092.75 ± 1,877.35 μm/pixel. CONCLUSIONS: The corneal tolerance