Recovery of corneal sensitivity after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy

Recovery of corneal sensitivity after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy
June 2006
Ying Wu MDa, Ren Y. Chu MDCorresponding Author Contact Information, a, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Xing T. Zhou MDa, Jin H. Dai MDa, Xiao M. Qu MDa, Srinivas Rao MDa and Dennis Lam MDa
aFrom the Eye and ENT Hospital (Wu, Chu, Zhou, Dai, Qu), Fudan University, Shanghai, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science (Rao, Lam), the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery

Purpose
To evaluate the recovery of corneal sensitivity after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) for myopia.

Setting
Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Methods
In this prospective interventional case series, central corneal sensitivity (CCS) was measured using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer (Luneau Ophthalmologie) in 85 eyes of 50 patients before and 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after LASEK for the treatment of myopia. For analysis, the eyes were divided into 2 groupsÛthe lowÒmoderate myopia group (spherical equivalent [SE] −1.0 to −6.0 diopters [D]) and the high myopia group (SE −6.0 to −16.0 D)Ûand the correlation between ablation depth and CCS was evaluated.

Results
In both groups, a significant decrease in CCS was present at 2 weeks and 1 month. In the lowÒmoderate myopia group, the CCS recovered to preoperative values at 3 months. In the high myopia group, recovery of CCS was slower and preoperative values were reached only at the 6-month follow-up. Measured CCS was significantly correlated with the ablation depth used at the 3-month and 6-month examinations (r = −0.262 and r = −0.264, respectively; P<.05).

Conclusion
Recovery of corneal sensitivity began 1 month after LASEK and was completed by 3 months in eyes treated for lowÒmoderate myopia and at 6 months in eyes with high myopia. The depth of ablation during surgery affected the recovery of corneal sensitivity.

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