Related Experiment Videos
Reinnervation in the cornea after LASIK
Bong Hwan Lee1, Jay W McLaren, Jay C Erie
1Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|November 28, 2002
Summary
Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) significantly reduces corneal nerves, with subbasal nerves recovering partially within a year. Stromal nerves in the flap show minimal recovery after LASIK eye surgery.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Corneal Surgery
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Photorefractive procedures like LASIK disrupt corneal nerve fibers.
- Understanding corneal reinnervation post-LASIK is crucial for visual recovery and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the denervation and reinnervation of human central corneas after LASIK.
- To evaluate nerve changes in vivo using confocal microscopy during the first year post-LASIK.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen eyes from 11 myopic patients undergoing LASIK with an 180-micrometer flap were studied.
- Confocal microscopy was used for sequential, full-thickness corneal scans before and at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-LASIK.
- Nerve fiber bundles in the subbasal region, stromal flap, and stromal bed were quantified.
Main Results:
- Subbasal nerve fiber bundles decreased by over 90% at 1 week post-LASIK, remaining significantly lower than preoperative levels throughout the year.
- Nerves within the corneal flap showed a significant decrease and minimal recovery by 1 year post-surgery.
- No significant differences in nerve measurements were found in the stromal bed compared to preoperative values.
Conclusions:
- LASIK causes immediate and substantial reduction in subbasal and stromal nerve fiber bundles within the corneal flap.
- Subbasal nerves show gradual but incomplete recovery within the first year after LASIK.
- Corneal flap reinnervation is significantly impaired one year after LASIK surgery.