Effect of laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy with mitomycin C on epithelial thickness measured with anterior segment optical coherence tomography: Visante®

Session Details

Session Title: Surface Photoablation

Session Date/Time: Monday 12/09/2016 | 14:30-16:30

Paper Time: 14:42

Venue: Hall C1

First Author: : P.Drake Rodriguez-Casanova SPAIN

Co Author(s): :    V. Blazquez   M. Garcia-Gonzalez   L. Alvarez-rementeria   J. Sanchez-Pina   J. Paz Moreno-Arrones   A. Rodero     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To study the changes on corneal epithelial thickness (ET) with anterior segment time-domain optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), Visante® (Carl Zeiss Meditec) in eyes treated with laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) with intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) to correct myopia

Setting:

Clínica Novovision Madrid, Spain. Clínica Rementería, Madrid, Spain

Methods:

We performed a prospective, non-randomized, observational, comparative study of 77 eyes. We compared 37 myopic eyes treated with LASEK with the adjuvant use of MMC, versus 40 control, non-treated eyes. ET was measured by AS-OCT Visante® 1week, 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery, and in the control group. We evaluated the evolution of the epithelium throughout the postop follow-up, and the influence of the preoperative sphere on the epithelial thickness (ET differences between 6 and 1week post-op).

Results:

The mean values of ET for the LASEK group were 43,86±5,65 µm, 46,05±6,02 µm, 50,91±4,99 µm and 50,37±5,65 µm for 1week, 1, 3 and 6 months respectively, and 48,62±4,38 µm in controls. We found a statistically thinner epithelium in LASEK 1week (p=0,0001) and 1month post-op (p=0,03) compared with controls. On the other hand, at the 3 months visit, the ET showed a significant thickening (p=0,03), which remained thicker but without statistical significance at 6 month post-op (p=0,13). We did not find any correlation between the epithelial hyperplasia and the preoperative sphere (p=0,47) in the laser group.

Conclusions:

LASEK with MMC seems to cause transient epithelium changes: from an initial thinning during the first month post-op to a thickening at 3 months, and returning to normal values at the 6 month postsurgery. These changes do not seem to be influenced by the preoperative sphere

Financial Disclosure:

NONE