title: Epithelial ingrowth after LASIK: visual and refractive results after cleaning the interface and suturing the lenticule.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to study the visual and refractive results in patients with epithelization in the corneal interface after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) who were treated by cleaning the corneal interface (epithelial cyst extraction) and suturing the corneal flap.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective, noncomparative interventional case series. The main outcome measures were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), refractive cylinder (CYL), spherical equivalent (SE), recurrence of epithelial ingrowth, and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a total of 7520 LASIK refractive eyes, 13 eyes with epithelial ingrowth were treated. The mean age was 46.9 years. The mean preoperative logMAR UDVA was 0.34 (SD, 0.19). At 2 months, the mean postoperative logMAR UDVA was 0.18 (SD, 0.17) and at 1 year was 0.12 (SD, 0.18) (P = 0.01). The mean logMAR CDVA before surgery was 0.16 (SD, 0.16). Two months and 1 year postoperatively, the mean logMAR CDVA was 0.05 (SD, 0.08) and 0.03 (SD, 0.06), respectively (P = 0.03). The mean SE before surgery was 0.30 D (SD, 1.09). The mean SE 2 months and 1 year after surgery was -0.07 (SD, 0.53) and -0.004 (SD, 0.18), respectively (P = 0.04). The mean CYL before surgery was -0.92 D (SD, 1.09); and the mean CYL 2 months and 1 year after surgery was -0.60 (SD, 0.84) and -0.18 (SD, 0.75), respectively (P = 0.26). No epithelial ingrowth recurrence was observed up to 1 year after epithelial removal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cleaning the corneal interface and suturing the corneal flap was effective and appeared safe in treating epithelial ingrowth after LASIK, with an extremely low rate of regrowth. However, further prospective controlled studies with a longer follow-up are needed.
authors.affiliation: *Director of Cornea and Refractive Surgery Unit, Instituto Microcirugía Ocular, Barcelona, Spain, and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; †Cornea and Refractive Surgery Unit, Instituto Microcirugía Ocular, Barcelona, Spain; ‡Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; §Department of Mathematics at Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain; Cornea and Refractive Surgery Unit, Instituto Microcirugía Ocular, Barcelona, Spain; and ¶Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular, Barcelona, Spain, and Department of Cornea and Anterior Segment Diseases and Department of Refractive Surgery of the Institut Clinic d'Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Güell
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdaguer
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mateu-Figueras
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elies
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gris
authors.forename: Felicidad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manero
authors.forename: Merce
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morral
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000473:pathology*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*