Epithelial remodeling following femtosecond-assisted high myopic LASIK: comparison of stand-alone to LASIK combined with prophylactic high-fluence cross-linking

Session Details

Session Title: LASIK Outcomes II

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 16/09/2014 | 14:00-16:00

Paper Time: 15:20

Venue: Capital Hall B

First Author: : I.Kontari GREECE

Co Author(s): :    G. Asimellis   A. Kanellopoulos           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the possible topographic epithelial profile thickness changes (remodeling) following high myopic femtosecond-LASIK with concurrent prophylactic high-fluence cross-linking in comparison to standard femtosecond LASIK.

Setting:

Laservision.gr Eye Institute, Athens, Greece

Methods:

Pre-operative and six-month post-operative 3-dimensional epithelial thickness distribution maps were investigated via a clinical spectral-domain anterior-segment OCT in two groups of femto-second laser-assisted myopic LASIK cases. Group-A represents 67 eyes treated additionally with concurrent prophylactic CXL (LASIK-Xtra); group-B represents 72 eyes subjected to stand-alone femtosecond LASIK. OCT measurements of the epithelial thickness over the center 2-mm diameter disk, mid-peripheral 5-mm rim and overall (entire 6-mm diameter disc area) were investigated.

Results:

The comparison of matched myopic correction subgroups indicated statistically significant differences in epithelial thickness increase specifically between high-myopia sub-groups. For example, in group-A (LASIK-Xtra) the mid-peripheral epithelial thickness increase was +3.79μm and +3.95μm for the (-8.00D to -9.00D) and (-7.00D to -8.00D) subgroups, which compare to increased thickness in group-B (stand-alone LASIK), of +9.75μm (p = 0.032) and +7.14μm (p = 0.041), respectively, for the same subgroups

Conclusions:

Application of prophylactic cross-linking concurrently with high-myopic LASIK operation results in a statistically significant reduced epithelial increase in comparison to the stand-alone LASIK. This comparison is observed between matched high-myopic correction subgroups. This difference may correlate with higher regression rates and/or may depict increased biomechanical instability in the stand-alone LASIK.

Financial Interest:

One or more of the authors... travel has been funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented