Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the biomechanical changes occurring after LASIK flap creation and rapid corneal cross-linking (CXL) measured with Brillouin light microscopy.
Methods :
Eleven porcine eyes were evaluated. Each eye was measured by Brillouin light microscopy sequentially in the following order: virgin state, after LASIK flap creation, and after rapid CXL. Each eye served as its own control. Depth profile of the Brillouin frequency shift was computed to reveal the depth-dependent changes in corneal stiffness.
Results :
There was a statistically significant reduction of Brillouin shift (reduced corneal stiffness) after LASIK flap creation compared to virgin corneas across total corneal thickness, as well as within the anterior and central, but not posterior, stromal regions. There was a small increase in Brillouin shift after rapid cross-linking that was not statistically or clinically significant across total corneal thickness or for any specific stromal region.
Conclusions :
LASIK flap creation significantly weakened the anterior and central cornea as expected. Rapid corneal cross-linking had no significant effect on Brillouin shift in porcine eyes. Brillouin microscopy could become a useful monitoring tool to evaluate the biomechanical impact of corneal refractive procedures and corneal cross-linking protocols.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.