Comparison Study of Corneal Sensation and Self-Reported Dry-Eye Symptoms After Myopic LASIK With Inverted Bevel-in Side Cut Versus Standard Bevel-out Side Cut

Friday, April 25, 2014
KIOSKS (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center)
Edward E. Manche, MD, Stanford Univ School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Christopher S. Sales, MD, MPH, Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Jennifer Kung, MD, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Narrative Responses:

Purpose
To prospectively compare changes in corneal sensation and self-reported dry eye symptoms following myopic LASIK with a femtosecond laser using an inverted bevel-in side cut versus a conventional bevel-out side cut.

Methods
One hundred and twenty-two eyes of 61 patients underwent myopic LASIK using a femtosecond laser.  One eye had a 130-degree bevel-in inverted side cut and the fellow eye had a 70-degree bevel-out side cut.  Cochet-Bonnet aesthisiometry (CB) measured corneal sensation preoperatively and at post-op months 1, 3, 6 and 12.  A validated Rasch-tested, linear-scaled dry eye questionnaire was administered preoperatively and an post-op months 1, 3, 6 and 12.

Results
Recovery of corneal sensation was faster in the inverted side cut group compared to the conventional side cut group at months 3 and 6.  Cochet-Bonnet values were 1.4 versus 1.2, (p = 0.08) at 1-month; 2.6 versus (1.9, p < 0.01) at 3-months; 5.3 vs. 4.5, (p < 0.01) at 6-months; and 5.8 versus 5.6 (p = 0.11) at 12 months in the inverted and conventional side cut groups respectively. There were no differences in self-reported dry eye symptoms between the two groups at any time interval.

Conclusion
Eyes treated with an inverted bevel-in side cut had a faster recovery of corneal sensation compared to a conventional bevel-out side cut.  However, there were no differences in self-reported dry eye symptoms between the two techniques.