title: Unintended epithelium-only flap creation using a femtosecond laser during LASIK.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to present a patient in whom, during LASIK with the IntraLase femtosecond laser (Abbott Medical Optics), unintended epithelial (instead of anterior stromal) flaps were created in both eyes.
  
  
  METHODS
  a 28-year-old man underwent bilateral LASIK using the IntraLase femtosecond laser programmed to create 100-microm flaps. Flap creation was performed uneventfully in both eyes but flap thickness was thinner than attempted. The flaps were easily torn during flap lift because they appeared to consist of epithelium only. Therefore, the procedure was immediately converted to photorefractive keratectomy with the use of mitomycin C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  re-epithelialization occurred 3 days after the procedure in both eyes. Three months after treatment, uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye with no signs of corneal haze on slit-lamp examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  despite the advantages of the IntraLase femtosecond laser in the creation of a LASIK flap, complications in terms of flap thickness may occur.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vision and Optics, Faculty of Medicine, Univeristy of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kymionis
authors.forename: Dimitra M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Portaliou
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Krasia
authors.forename: Alexandra E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Karavitaki
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grentzelos
authors.forename: Sophia I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Panagopoulou
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kounis
authors.forename: Ioannis G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Pallikaris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology