title: Anterior segment OCT analysis of thin IntraLase femtosecond flaps.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to analyze thin flaps created with the IntraLase femtosecond laser (IntraLase Corp).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients had flaps created with the 60 kHz IntraLase femtosecond laser prior to excimer laser ablation. The desired flap thickness was 110 microm with a diameter of 8.5 mm for all eyes. At 1 month postoperatively, all eyes were evaluated with the Visante anterior segment OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec). Four thickness measurements were obtained across the length of the flaps at the meridians of 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees, and 180 degrees. Thus, 16 thickness measurements were analyzed for each flap.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flaps were uniform (planar) with a mean thickness of 112 +/- 5 microm (range: 87 to 118 microm). Average standard deviation within the individual flaps was 4 microm (range: 1 to 8 microm).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IntraLase femtosecond laser creates thin, uniform (planar) flaps with high predictability and reproducibility.
authors.affiliation: Durrie Vision, 5520 College Blvd, Ste 201, Overland Park, KS 66211, USA. jstahl@durrievision.com
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Durrie
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Schwendeman
authors.forename: Allen J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Boghossian
mesh_terms: D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000379:methods*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence