title: Comparison of DLK incidence after laser in situ keratomileusis associated with two femtosecond lasers: Femto LDV and IntraLase FS60.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with flap creation using the Femto LDV and IntraLase™ FS60 femtosecond lasers.0.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 818 consecutive myopic eyes had LASIK performed using either Femto LDV or IntraLase FS60 for flap creation. The same excimer laser, the Allegretto Wave® Eye-Q Laser, was used for correcting refractive errors for all patients. In the preoperative examination, uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, and manifest refraction spherical equivalent were measured. At the postop examination, the same examinations were performed along with a slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination, and patients with DLK were classified into stages. For the statistical analysis of the DLK occurrence rate and the visual and refractive outcomes, the Mann-Whitney's U-test was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the Femto LDV group with 514 eyes, 42 (8.17%) had DLK. In the IntraLase FS60 group with 304 eyes, 114 (37.5%) had DLK. There was a statistically significant difference in the DLK incidence rate between these groups (P < 0.0001). Both groups had excellent visual and refractive outcomes. Although low levels of DLK were observed for both groups, they did not affect visual acuity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While there were significantly fewer incidences of low level DLK when using Femto LDV, neither femtosecond laser induced high levels of DLK, and any postoperative DLK cleared up within 1 week. Therefore, both lasers provide excellent results, with no clinical differences, and both excel at flap creation for LASIK.
authors.affiliation: Shinagawa LASIK Center, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan ; Department of Ophthalmology, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, People's Republic of China ; Eye Can Cataract Surgery Center, Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sotoyama
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yukawa
authors.forename: Tadayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
keywords: DLK; Femto LDV; IntraLase FS60; LASIK; Ziemer; femtosecond laser