Short-Term Changes of Corneal Endothelium after LASIK

ABSTRACT

To investigate the effect of Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis(LASIK) on Corneal endothelium, patients undergone LASIK at department fo Ophthalmology of Kangnam St. Mary`s Hospital, Catholic University Medical College from November 1997 to January 1998, were studied, retrospectively. VISX STAR laser and SCMD microkeratome were used. The corneal endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation in cell size, and hexagonality(43 eyes of 35 patients), using specular microscopy, were measured before and after 2 months and residual corneal thickness during LASIK was also measured. An average thickness of corneal bed following LASIK was 294.2+/-27.5micrometer(254.2-378.0micrometer). The changes of endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation in cell size, and hexagonality between before and after LASIK were statistically significant(P>0.05). Correlation between the change in endothelium morphology and the residual corneal thickness was not statistically significant(P>0.05). With these results, LASIK seems to be safe for myopic patients in case of the thickness of corneal bed following LASIK is over 250micrometer. However, more study is necessary to confirm the long-term effect of LASIK on corneal endothelial change.