Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose:It is considered the myopic degree and the corneal epithelial flap condition of patients as the most important factor in corneal opacity occurred after LASEK surgery. This present study aims at comparing the degree of corneal opacity according to the status of corneal epithelial flap in myopia of low, moderate and high myopic patients. Methods:In this study, 75 eyes of 39 patients treated with LASEK were examined during three months. We subdivided into three groups which were high myopia(≥6 diopter), moderate myopia(≥3 diopter, <6 diopter), and low myopia(<3 diopter) group. The corneal epithelial flap was classified into good, moderate, and poor flap according to the state after repositioning epithelium, also the corneal opacity was described by Fantes classification and measured at post–LASEK one, three day, one week, one month, and three months. Results:The most common reason to do LASEK is the corneal condition(curvature and thickness). The post–LASEK refractive error were not related with corneal epithelial flap and degree of myopia. The degree of corneal opacity by the status of corneal epithelial flap has a significant difference in both low and moderate myopic patients in the first month after LASEK. The more the myopic degree is, the more the degree of corneal opacity is. Conclusions:The degree of corneal opacity is affected by the status of corneal epithelial flap at post–LASEK one month. Careful and intentive therapy reducing corneal opacity is needed in patients with poor corneal epithelial flap during LASEK.
Keywords: cornea: epithelium • refractive surgery: complications • refractive error development