RESUMO
Objective To detect and analyze of residual ethanol in abandoned flaps after laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) with ethanol infiltration methods.Methods Together 20 patients (40 eyes) undergoing LASEK were recruited in the study.After infiltrated with 20％ ethanol and rinsed in equilibration solution,the corneal epithelial free flap was isolated and removed in time for sealing,and then procedures were continuously completed.Finally,observation of the skin flap production,postoperative irritation symptoms,epithelial healing,visual recovery and postoperative haze situation was performed,and then the amount of ethanol in the epithelial flap was measured.Results There was no failure in making the intact corneal flaps.The sensory score of postoperative irritation was 2.52 ± 1.46.Neonatal epithelial with 1 grade was observed in 32 eyes,2 grade in 8 eyes 5 days after surgery,while corneal haze with 0.5 grade was occurred in 3 eyes,1 grade in 2 eyes 12 weeks after surgery.There were ethanol residues in corneal epithelium in the abandoned flaps,with the amount of ethanol residues of (0.205 2 ± 0.041 0) μL in each flap.Conclusion It is found that a certain amount of ethanol residue in the corneal epithelium after LASEK with ethanol infiltration equilibration solution rinse,which may be one reason of the corneal irritation symptoms and corneal haze.