The Consistency of Corneal Flap Thickness and Size in LASIK using the Innovatome Automatic Micro keratome

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the consistency of the thickness and size of the corneal flap made by the Innovatome automatic microkeratome and to determine the cor-relation between preoperative variables and corneal flap dimensions, we per-formed the prospective study comprised 102 consecutive eyes of 51 patients having laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK)with the Innovatome microker-atome.Central corneal thickness, corneal curvature, and refractive error were measured preoperatively.All flaps were created using No.170 blades. The mean corneal flap thickness was 139.70 +/-2 2.5 6 micrometer, and the range was 93.0 ~193.7 micrometer.There was no relationship between the corneal flap thickness and the preoperative corneal curvature or spherical equivalent, but the corneal flap thickness increased with the preoperative central corneal thickness. The mean corneal flap size (vertical diameter)was 9.17 +/- 0.25 mm (range :8.5 0 ~9.7 5 mm).There was no relationship between the corneal flap diameter and the preoperative central corneal thickness or spherical equivalent, but the corneal flap size increased with the preoperative corneal curvature.