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Reusing LASIK blades produces thinner flaps
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The blades for the Amadeus microkeratome produced significantly thinner LASIK flaps on second use, according to a study at the Cullen Eye Institute in Houston. The study also found that the mean thickness of the first flaps cut with Amadeus blades was significantly thicker than the labeled thickness.
Douglas Koch, MD, and colleagues studied the flaps created by 140 µm, 160 µm and 180 µm heads on the Advanced Medical Optics Amadeus microkeratome on a total of 157 eyes to evaluate the accuracy of corneal flaps cut with the device. The same microkeratome blade was used for bilateral cases, with the right eye undergoing surgery first in all cases.
Using the 140 µm head, mean flap thickness was 153 µm OD and 134 µm OS. With the 160 µm head, mean flap thickness was 182 µm OD and 163 µm OS. With the 180 µm head, mean flap thickness was 235 µm. Flap thickness was significantly greater in the first eyes cut and was positively correlated with increasing corneal thickness in both eyes.
The study is published in the June issue of Cornea.