Continuous monitoring of corneal thickness changes during LASIK with online optical coherence pachymetry.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the continuous intraoperative monitoring of central corneal thickness (CCT) changes during laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using online optical coherence pachymetry (OCP).


METHODS
Department of Ophthalmology, Vivantes Klinikum Neukolln, Berlin, Germany.


METHODS
In this prospective nonrandomized comparative clinical case series of consecutive patients, 32 eyes having LASIK for myopia, myopic astigmatism, or hyperopia were continuously monitored intraoperatively in real time with online OCP integrated into a clinical excimer laser. The intraoperative values were compared to the postoperative flap and residual stromal thicknesses measured with corneal optical coherence tomography (OCT) as well as the calculated myopic ablation depth.


RESULTS
Continuous monitoring with online OCP enabled intraoperative visualization of the CCT changes during LASIK. The CCT, flap thickness after the microkeratome pass, time-resolved ablation, and residual stromal thickness were assessed. Intraoperatively, the mean flap thickness was 135 microm +/- 38 (SD) and the mean residual stromal thickness, 286 +/- 59 microm. The mean intraoperative flap and residual stromal thickness values were 43.7 microm and 15.4 microm lower, respectively, than the postoperative values assessed with corneal OCT (P<.001 and P=.005, respectively). The optically determined myopic ablation depth was 118 +/- 37 microm, which was 28 microm higher than the nominal ablation depth. There was a significant correlation (P<.001) between the postoperative flap (r=0.79) and residual (r=0.88) thickness measured with corneal OCT as well as the calculated myopic ablation depth (r=0.95).


CONCLUSIONS
Intraoperative online OCP could be an important safety feature to monitor the flap and residual stromal thicknesses during LASIK. The individual ablation depth and possible dehydration effects were also monitored continuously.
Wirbelauer
Christopher
C
Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Germany. christopher.wirbelauer@vivantes.de
Pham
Duy Thoai
DT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000601:surgery*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000601:surgery*; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000379:methods*; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D009862:Online Systems; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*