title: Long-term refractive results of myopic LASIK complicated with intraoperative epithelial defects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term refractive results of LASIK for myopia complicated with intraoperative epithelial defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six eyes with epithelial defects on the LASIK flap were compared with the contralateral eye that had no intraoperative complications. Pre- and postoperative data were compared between the two groups including 3-, 6- and 12-month postoperative spherical equivalent refraction, amount of undercorrection, and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eyes with intraoperative epithelial defects showed more undercorrection at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (P < .05). No statistically significant difference was noted at 12 months. Twenty (76%) eyes in the epithelial defect group lost best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) at 3 months postoperatively compared with 2 (7%) eyes in the control group. By 1 year, however, only 2 (7%) eyes in the epithelial defect group and no eyes in the control group lost > 1 line of BSCVA. Diffuse lamellar keratitis was observed in 15 (58%) of 26 eyes with epithelial defects and these eyes had more undercorrections at 6 and 12 months (P < .05) and higher corneal irregularity index at 6 and 12 months compared with controls (P < .05). Eyes with small epithelial defects (> 1 mm2 to < 3 mm2) had more undercorrections at 6 months (-1.08 +/- 0.76 diopters [D]) compared with the control group (-0.46 +/- 0.87 D). Eyes with centrally located epithelial defects had more undercorrections and increased corneal irregularity index compared with controls (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraoperative epithelial defects after LASIK should be considered a severe complication that may result in diffuse lamellar keratitis, induce loss of BSCVA, prolong recovery of visual acuity, and induce undercorrection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience Center for Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, La 70112, USA. sesque@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Salomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esquenazi
authors.forename: Viet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019781:Corneal Topography; D018450:Disease Progression; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity