C. Slowik et al., ASSESSMENT OF CORNEAL ALTERATIONS FOLLOWING LASER IN-SITU KERATOMILEUSIS BY CONFOCAL SLIT SCANNING MICROSCOPY, German journal of ophthalmology, 5(6), 1997, pp. 526-531
This investigation was done to evaluate in vis;cr changes in corneal m
icromorphology occurring after laser in situ keratomileusis. By means
of confocal microscopy, nine eyes of eight patients showing uncomplica
ted wound healing at 2-16 weeks after surgery and one eye of one patie
nt at 30 weeks after initial surgery who had to undergo two retreatmen
ts because of a central island were examined. Video recording was used
to register the data. The distribution of scattered light in the trea
ted corneae was registered with the z-scan of the microscope. Slit-lam
p findings obtained several weeks postoperatively showed only minor co
rneal alterations. Confocal microscopy revealed morphological changes
as a result of the surgery, especially in the epithelium and in the an
terior stroma. With the z-scan an additional peak determined by higher
reflectivity in the anterior stroma was found. The retreated patient
showed marked folds in the area of the interface and flap. Confocal in
vivo microscopy is suitable for the noninvasive detection of micromor
phological alterations following refractive corneal surgery and for ob
servation of the postsurgical wound-healing phase, including nerve reg
eneration.