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Reverse side cut with femtosecond laser demonstrates superior results in dry eye cases
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 Allon Barsam |
SAN DIEGO — A 140° reverse side cut was superior to a 30° side cut in patients undergoing bilateral femtosecond flap formation with LASIK, according to a presenter here.
"We postulated the [30° cuts] do not bed down quite as perfectly, and there may be a greater distance that the nerves need to grow in order to regenerate and recover from the initial lack of sensation and dry eye that you get after LASIK," Allon Barsam, MD, MRCOphth, said at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.
In a multicenter, randomized, observer-masked, paired-comparison study, Dr. Barsam and colleagues evaluated corneal sensation and dry eye symptoms in eyes receiving a 30° side cut compared with eyes receiving a 140° reverse side cut. All 49 patients in the study had a horizontal corneal flap created with the iFS femtosecond laser (Abbott Medical Optics) using a nasal hinge set at 50°. Each patient received a 140° reverse side cut and 30° side cut, randomly selected for the right or left eye.
All flaps were 8.5 mm round and 110 µm in depth.
The reverse side cut was shown to improve flap stability and improve severed nerve apposition, according to Dr. Barsam. Additionally, the reverse side cut was associated with less of a reduction in corneal sensitivity and fewer dry eye symptoms than the 30° side cut and greater improvement in visual acuity.
- Disclosure: Dr. Barsam has no direct financial interest in the products discussed in this article, nor is he a paid consultant for any companies mentioned.