title: Management of long-standing partially torn and flipped laser in situ keratomileusis flaps.
abstract: We describe 2 cases of traumatized and torn laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) flaps, partially flipped anteriorly or posteriorly, fixed for 8 months or 4 months, and accompanied by epithelial ingrowth. The 2 patients had had uneventful bilateral LASIK 6 years and 1 year before the trauma. In Case 1, the anteriorly flipped flap was removed with transepithelial phototherapeutic keratectomy. Next, mitomycin-C 0.04% was applied for 30 seconds. In Case 2, the portion of the flap that was flipped posteriorly and buried under the remaining intact LASIK flap was restored to its original normal position and epithelial ingrowth was removed mechanically with a microcurette. Irrigation with 20% ethanol was performed to inhibit the recurrence of interfacial epithelial ingrowth. The stretched amniotic membrane overlay over the cornea and sclera was sutured tightly to the episclera as the biologic pressure patch for the inhibition of epithelial re-ingrowth. Good visual acuity was restored in both cases.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (J.S. Kim, Chung, Lee, T-i Kim, E.K. Kim), Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute and the Institute of Vision Research (Chung, Lee, T-i. Kim, E.K. Kim), Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science (E.K. Kim), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; the Department of Surgery (W.C. Kim), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Jin Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (J.S. Kim, Chung, Lee, T-i Kim, E.K. Kim), Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute and the Institute of Vision Research (Chung, Lee, T-i. Kim, E.K. Kim), Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science (E.K. Kim), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; the Department of Surgery (W.C. Kim), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Byunghoon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (J.S. Kim, Chung, Lee, T-i Kim, E.K. Kim), Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute and the Institute of Vision Research (Chung, Lee, T-i. Kim, E.K. Kim), Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science (E.K. Kim), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; the Department of Surgery (W.C. Kim), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Taekjune
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (J.S. Kim, Chung, Lee, T-i Kim, E.K. Kim), Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute and the Institute of Vision Research (Chung, Lee, T-i. Kim, E.K. Kim), Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science (E.K. Kim), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; the Department of Surgery (W.C. Kim), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Woon Cho
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (J.S. Kim, Chung, Lee, T-i Kim, E.K. Kim), Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute and the Institute of Vision Research (Chung, Lee, T-i. Kim, E.K. Kim), Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science (E.K. Kim), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; the Department of Surgery (W.C. Kim), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Tae-im
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (J.S. Kim, Chung, Lee, T-i Kim, E.K. Kim), Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute and the Institute of Vision Research (Chung, Lee, T-i. Kim, E.K. Kim), Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science (E.K. Kim), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; the Department of Surgery (W.C. Kim), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA. Electronic address: eungkkim@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Eung Kweon
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000293:injuries*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000473:pathology*; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence