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Sub-basal nerve density and corneal sensitivity unaffected by femtosecond laser flaps, study finds
Arch Ophthalmol. 2010;128(11):1413-1419.
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The creation of femtosecond laser flaps during LASIK does not appear to affect the rate of corneal reinnervation or recovery of corneal sensitivity, a study found.
A randomized paired-eye study of 21 patients who received LASIK with the flap created by a femtosecond laser in one eye and by a mechanical microkeratome in the other eye demonstrated that sub-basal nerve density and corneal sensitivity are not influenced by using differing methods of flap creation.
Eyes were reviewed before LASIK and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 36 months postoperatively. For both eyes, sub-basal nerve density decreased at 1 month, from 10,883 µm preop to 974 µm for the eyes with femtosecond-created flaps and from 12,464 µm preop to 1,308 µm for the eyes with microkeratome-created flaps.
Sub-basal nerve density for both eyes remained decreased through 12 months and returned to preoperative levels after 36 months.
Researchers also found that absolute mechanical thresholds did not differ between eyes with femtosecond-created flaps and those with microkeratome-created flaps or between untreated control eyes and those treated with LASIK. The prolonged decrease in sub-basal nerve density was not matched by a prolonged decrease in corneal sensitivity.