Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Influence of Epithelial Flap on LASEK and Epi-LASIK

Suphi Taneri, Saskia OehlerAuthors have no financial interest.

ASCRS, April 9-14, 2010, BostonASCRS, April 9-14, 2010, Boston

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Purpose Purpose

• To elucidate the influence of the epithelial flap after EPI-LASIK and LASEK for the correction of low to moderate ametropia on visual recovery, epithelial closure, pain, and haze formation

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

MethodsMethods

• In this comparative (self-controlled) single-center study 40 eyes were treated with bilateral EPI-LASIK (Zyoptix XP microkeratome with EPI Separator, Bausch & Lomb) and 40 eyes with LASEK.

Epithelial flap repositioned

Epithelial flapdiscarded

Epi-LASIK 20 20 LASEK 20 20

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Visual recoveryResults: Visual recovery

Mean uncorrected distance visual acuity was better in EPI-LASIK in the absence of an epithelial flap on day 1, 2, and 4.After 3 months the uncorrected distance visual acuity was nearly similar between all groups. (* statistically significant, ** highly statistically significant)

*

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Pain PerceptionResults: Pain Perception

Pain scores decreased continually from day 1 to day 4 in all groups and showed no significant difference between the 4 groups.

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Epithelial ClosureResults: Epithelial Closure

*

(* statistically significant)

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Haze FormationResults: Haze Formation

EPI-LASIK Mean Range

Flap repositioned

0.45 ± 0.37 0-1

Flap discarded 0.43 ± 0.59 0-2.5

LASEK Mean Range

Flap repositioned

0.35 ± 0.46 0-1

Flap discarded 0.33 ± 0.44 0-1

Haze levels (Fantes classification) at 3 months

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Perceived Change in Snellen Results: Perceived Change in Snellen LinesLinesDifference between corrected distance visual acuity

preoperatively and uncorrected distance visual acuity postoperatively

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Efficacy IndicesResults: Efficacy Indices

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

Results: Safety IndicesResults: Safety Indices

Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital MünsterAugenabteilung am St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

ConclusionConclusion

No clinically significant differences of LASEK and EPI-LASIK could be detected regardless of epithelial flap retention in terms of visual recovery, epithelial closure time, pain perception, and haze formation.Treatment modalities may be used at the surgeon’s discretion.