Late LASIK flap lift for refractive enhancements after five and ten years: safety and efficacy

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Keratorefractive Surgery Results I

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 2

First Author: : J.Alio del Barrio SPAIN

Co Author(s): :    R. Hanna   M. Canto-Cerdan   A. Vega-Estrada   J. Alió              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Study the safety and efficacy of lifting LASIK flaps older than 5 and 10 years as the elective surgical procedure for late refractive enhancements.

Setting:

Vissum Innovation, Alicante and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain.

Methods:

Late flap lift eyes with at least 5 years from the primary LASIK procedure and 3 months of post-lift follow up were included. Primary outcome measure was safety. Moderate epithelial ingrowth (EI) was managed with YAG laser.

Results:

70 eyes were included. Mean time from the original LASIK to the flap lift was 12.3±3.45 years. In 57 eyes the flap was ≥10 years. Mean preLift spherical equivalent for myopic group was -1.29±1.23. Three months post-lift, 88% of eyes had UDVA≥ 20/20, while 100% achieved at least 20/25. No eye had ≥2 lines of CDVA loss.  Efficacy and safety indexes for myopic group 6-months postop was 0.94 and 0.98 respectively. Mild EI was a common finding (31.43%). Clinically significant epithelial ingrowth was noted in 11.42% of cases, but only 4.28% required a re-lift due to severe EI.

Conclusions:

Late flap lift for refractive enhancement 10 years or more after LASIK is a feasible surgical alternative with good levels of efficacy and safety together with a fast visual recovery. Surgical re-interventions due to significant postoperative epithelial ingrowth are rare if an adequate medical management is supplied.

Financial Disclosure:

None