Role of the endothelial pump in flap adhesion after laser in situ keratomileusis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of the endothelial pump in the attachment of the corneal flap during the early period after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).


METHODS
Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan.


METHODS
The study comprised 30 porcine eyes. In all eyes, a corneal flap was made with a microkeratome. Five minutes after the flap was placed over the bed, the adhesion strength was measured with a load-testing machine. To inhibit the endothelial pump, ouabain was injected into the anterior chamber (10 eyes) or the endothelium was mechanically scraped (10 eyes). The control group included 10 eyes.


RESULTS
The load needed to lift the flap was significantly lower in the ouabain group (0.21 gram force [gf]; P<.01) and the endothelial scrape group (0.22 gf; P<.01) than in the control group (0.61 gf).


CONCLUSIONS
The endothelial pump plays an important role in flap attachment in the early postoperative period after LASIK.
Bissen-Miyajima
Hiroko
H
Departments of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Suidobashi Hospital, Tokyo 101-0066, Japan.
Nakamura
Kunihiko
K
Kaido
Minako
M
Shimmura
Shigeto
S
Tsubota
Kazuo
K
D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000187:drug effects; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000502:physiology*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000201:enzymology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D013718:Tensile Strength
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010042:Ouabain; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase