title: Dry eye after laser in situ keratomileusis with femtosecond laser and mechanical keratome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively compare dry-eye symptoms after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with mechanical keratome-created flaps and femtosecond laser keratome-created flaps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fellow eyes were prospectively randomized to the mechanical keratome group and femtosecond laser keratome group. Patients had wavefront-guided LASIK using a mechanical keratome in 1 eye and a femtosecond laser keratome in the fellow eye. They completed dry-eye questionnaires preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The effect of laser ablation depth, sex, age, and flap thickness on dry-eye symptoms was also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study enrolled 51 patients. There was no statistically significant change in dry-eye symptoms except in the femtosecond group 1 month postoperatively (mean increase 1.08) (P=.03). There were no significant differences in symptoms between the 2 groups (P=.7). The dry-eye score was 1.3 points lower in women than in men (P=.01). Central ablation depth, flap thickness, and age did not significantly affect the reported dryness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There appeared to be no statistically significant difference in self-reported dry-eye symptoms between the mechanical keratome group and the femtosecond laser keratome group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94303, USA.
authors.forename: Liliya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golas
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Manche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000009:adverse effects*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology