Laser in situ keratomileusis: association with increased width of palpebral fissure.
OBJECTIVE
To report the preoperative and postoperative palpebral fissure width in eyes undergoing laser in situ keratomileusis.


METHODS
In a prospective study, 165 consecutive eyes of 87 patients (41 men and 46 women with a mean +/- standard deviation age of 32.9 (+/-9.5) years) had laser in situ keratomileusis using a Summit (Waltham, MA) APEX PLUS excimer laser and a Moria (Antony, France) LSK microkeratome. The width of palpebral fissure was measured preoperatively, 3 months or 6 months after laser in situ keratomileusis. Patients were classified into three groups as follows: hard contact lens users group (n = 61), soft contact lens users group (n = 63), and non-contact lens users group (n = 41).


RESULTS
The average width of palpebral fissure increased after laser in situ keratomileusis in all three groups. The hard contact lens users group increased from 7.6 (+/-1.6) mm to 8.7 (+/-1.2) mm (P <.0001) and non-contact lens users group increased from 7.7 (+/-1.9) mm to 8.9 (+/-1.9) mm (P <.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that laser in situ keratomileusis may be associated with an increase in the width of the palpebral fissure.
Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic, 2-27-5 Minamiaoyama, Minatoku, Tokyo, Japan 107-0062. hori@minamiaoyama.or.jp
Y
Y
Hori-Komai
I
I
Toda
K
K
Tsubota
D000328:Adult; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005143:Eyelids / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies