Long-Term Outcomes of Flap Amputation After LASIK
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term visual and structural outcomes of flap amputation after LASIK.
Methods
Three eyes of 3 patients with a history of flap amputation were included in a retrospective study performed at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL, between 2006 and 2014. Reasons for flap amputation, pre-operative and post-operative slitlamp examination, visual acuity, optical coherence tomography (OCT, Visante, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) and corneal topography parameters such as central corneal thickness and keratometry readings (Ks) using Tomey (Nagoya, Japan) were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 22).
Results
Mean follow-up was 2.8±1.2 years. The most frequent reason for flap amputation was epithelial ingrowth. Mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.6 LogMAR, which improved to a mean of 0.2 LogMAR postoperatively. All patients have BCVA of at least 20/30 (0.154 LogMAR) post-operatively. Mean postoperative central corneal thickness was 438μm. Mean preoperative average K was 50.5D, which flattened to 44.76D at 1-year follow-up. No ectasia was noted in any patients after flap amputation.
Conclusion
Although flap amputation is one of the final options for treating flap related LASIK complications, this study showed good visual and structural long-term outcomes.