title: Assessment of anterior chamber flare and cells after laser in situ keratomileusis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of anterior chamber flare and cells after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for the correction of myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hermann Eye Center and the University of Texas Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Houston, Texas, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three eyes of 23 consecutive patients ranging in age from 24 to 62 years had LASIK for myopia. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon using a VISX Star laser and the same technique. Patients received no preoperative antiinflammatory medications. Postoperatively, all patients were instructed to use 1 drop of ofloxacin (Ocuflox) and 1 drop of fluorometholone 0.1% (FML) in the operated eye 4 times daily while awake for 7 days. At baseline and postoperative days 1, 7, and 28, anterior chamber flare was measured and cells were counted using a Kowa laser flare meter (FM-500) and laser cell counter (LC-500), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flare and cells increased significantly on day 1 (P <.0001 for both flare and cells) and returned to preoperative levels by day 7. No statistically significant correlation was detected between the amount of inflammation and the number of laser pulses (P =.2922) or the ablation time (P =.8383).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant increase in anterior chamber inflammation occurred during the first 24 hours after LASIK. Inflammation levels then subsided to preoperative levels by day 7 with steroid use. Anterior chamber inflammation did not appear to correlate with the duration of the ablation or the number of laser pulses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: El-Harazi
authors.forename: A Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Yee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity