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Corneal shield speeds visual recovery after PRK, LASIK
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Use of a corneal shield improves the speed at which vision recovers after laser vision correction, according to a speaker at Hawaiian Eye.
“Today’s post-PRK visual challenge is a great one,” Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, told colleagues, adding that it takes at least 4 days postoperatively for vision to reach a functional level. “[Patients] have blurry vision, they have hazy vision, and the refraction changes all over the place.”
Marguerite McDonald
Optical clarity is also poor in the first 4 days because of corneal edema and epithelial clusters, McDonald said.
LASIK also provides significant postoperative refractive challenges, with post-LASIK vision taking 24 hours to reach optimal level, she said.
Refraction can vary due to flap- and edema-induced curvature change, optical irregularity can occur due to flap and interface irregularity, and corneal edema can result in poor optical clarity.
The solution, according to McDonald, is the Nexis cornea shield (NexisVision), which has a rigid optic, does not move with blinking, is water impermeable and is oxygen permeable.
“The shield provides a smooth and stable optical surface, which gives instantly better vision and restores corneal physiology by minimizing edema,” she said. “It delivers faster post-LASIK visual and functional recovery compared to conventional LASIK with no shield.”
The Nexis shield is not yet commercially available in the U.S. — by Daniel Morgan
Disclosure: McDonald receives travel stipends or honoraria from Ocusoft, TearLab and TearScience.