This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of anterior keratoplasty
   with microkeratome in the improvement of visual acuity (V.A) in superficial
   corneal disorders in patients admitted to Labbfi Nezhad hospital and Tehran
   Bassir Clinic .

          This clinical trial was done on 14 eyes of 14 patients with superficial
   corneal disorders involving less than 70% of the corneal thickness. Including
   criteria were patients with good functional endothelium and corneal
   thickness not less than 350 um. Using the chiron automated corneal shaper
   (A.C.S) 240-400 um resection of the diseased cornea was done and the
   same thickness donor cornea was cut and sutured to the recipient bed.
   “Post op VA” , graft interface and bed clarity and refractive error were
   evaluated.

          Of 14 eyes; 3 belonged to females and 11to males ranging  from 22–71
    years of age mean F/U time was 7.2 months, mean “pre-op VA” was 20/400
   improving to 20/30 with a mean astigmatism of 4.2 D. Graft was clear in 11
   cases but the bed opacity was mild in 3 cases and moderate in 2 cases.
   Corneal opacity in 3 of our cases were secondary to lasik and the remaining
   were due to corneal dystrophies , gelatinous drop - like dystrophy and
   trachoma keratopathy.

          ALK with microkeratome improves V.A in superficial corneal disorders
   and may be a promising thechnique in future.