First Author: Z.Nagy HUNGARY
Co Author(s):
Purpose:
To evaluate the clinical results obtained using a new procedure: EBK (epi-bowman keratectomy).
Setting:
: Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Methods:
Prospective, contralateral eye study of 10 patients (20 eyes) scheduled to undergo surface ablation for myopia or hyperopia correction. For each patient, PRK was performed in one eye using the surgeon’s standard technique for removal of the corneal epithelium. In the 2nd eye, a new approach was used – epi-bowman keratectomy (EBK). In this procedure, the corneal epithelium was removed using device specifically developed for epithelium removal (Epi-Clear, ORCA Surgical, Ashkelon, Israel). All eyes were assessed for safety, efficacy and time to re-epithelization at postoperative day 1, 2 and 5, and month 1 and 3. Re-epithelization was monitored using OCT at days 1 and 2. Patients were also asked to monitor postoperative pain following surgery.
Results:
The initial results suggest that the eyes that underwent the EBK procedure had a shorter recovery time, less postoperative haze and lower levels of patient self-reported postoperative pain than those prepared using a standard technique.
Conclusions:
The use of a device developed specifically for epithelium removal provides a safe and effective alternative to currently used techniques for this step in surface ablation procedures.
Financial Disclosure:
None
