Corneal inflammation following corneal photoablative refractive surgery with excimer laser

Millions of surface ablation excimer laser surgeries are performed worldwide. The normal cornea, when photoablated, reacts in a way specific to this process. The fundamentals of this biological reactivity are based on the normal structure of the photoablated cornea and on the energy delivered by the laser. This leads to a new type of inflammation and wound healing. We systematically review the literature relating inflammation to photoablative procedures and its wound healing consequences and offer guidelines on treatment corneal inflammation following corneal photoablative surgery.