title: Role of the endothelial pump in flap adhesion after laser in situ keratomileusis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Suidobashi Hospital, Tokyo 101-0066, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bissen-Miyajima
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaido
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimmura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010042:Ouabain; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase