Optical coherence tomography for the detection of laser in situ keratomileusis in donor corneas.
OBJECTIVE
In 2001, more than one million laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) procedures were performed worldwide. Considering the increasing number of refractive procedures, eye banks will be increasingly confronted with the problem of how to identify those donors with prior refractive surgery. To date, efficient screening methods to identify LASIK surgery in donor eyes have not been established. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to determine whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be used to detect the presence of LASIK-induced changes in human corneas.


METHODS
Laser in situ keratomileusis was performed on 20 organ-cultured human cornea disks. The excimer laser ablation performed ranged from 0 to 12 diopters. The corneas were maintained in culture, and the visibility of flap-stromal interface by OCT was assessed up to 6 months after the LASIK procedure. Additionally, two donor corneas with the history of LASIK treatment before death were screened for structural changes.


RESULTS
Optical coherence tomography scans were able to detect the interface between the corneal flap and the residual stromal tissue in all corneas and at all examined time intervals. There were no differences in signal intensity among the different depths of ablation. The relative signal intensity of the interface compared with the averaged stromal intensity ranged from 2.1 to 6.0. In both donor corneas with suspected prior LASIK surgery, OCT scanning showed the characteristic stromal interface as found in the in vitro model.


CONCLUSIONS
Corneal examination by OCT could be an appropriate technique for eye banks to screen donor corneas for prior LASIK surgery.
Priglinger
Siegfried G
SG
Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Mathildenstr. 8, 80336 Munich, Germany.
Neubauer
Aljoscha S
AS
May
Christian-Albrecht
CA
Alge
Claudia S
CS
Wolf
Armin H
AH
Mueller
Arthur
A
Ludwig
Klaus
K
Kampik
Anselm
A
Welge-Luessen
Ulrich
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D008027:Light; D008875:Middle Aged; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods