Posters

Traumatic flap dislocation by paper aeroplane 10 years after LASIK

Poster Details

First Author: S.Taneri GERMANY

Co Author(s):    A. Rost   S. Kießler   M. Elling   B. Dick           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To present a traumatic flap dislocation 10 years after LASIK.

Setting:

Center for Refractive Surgery, Eye Department at St. Francis Hospital, Münster, Germany.

Methods:

A 49-year-old teacher was referred after his right eye was hit from the side by a paper air plane in class 1 day prior. Uncorrected visual acuity was reduced to 0.32 (decimal scale). Slit lamp examination revealed traumatic macrofolds in the temporal half of an otherwise unremarkable flap 10 years after microkeratome-assisted LASIK. On the next day, the flap was lifted and the epithelium partially abraded. Then the flap was hydrated with distilled water and carefully ironed to remove the folds. Perfect alignment of the flap margin could be achieved. A therapeutic soft contact lens was placed for one week.

Results:

Slitlamp examination showed no folds 4 days after revision. Uncorrected visual acuity returned to 1.0 after 3 months. Our case represents one of the longest reported intervals between LASIK and traumatic flap displacement and also one of the smallest trauma. Thus, it illustrates that even 10 years after LASIK the flap may be dislocated due to very mild trauma.

Conclusions:

In the present case, rapid and decisive surgical intervention fully corrected this extremely rare injury. Delayed treatment may be more difficult and facilitate diffuse lamellar inflammation. Flapless corneal laser procedures like excimer laser ablation of the stromal surface or small incision lenticule extraction avoid this emergency completely.

Financial Disclosure:

None