Outcomes of Retreatment after Aborted Laser In Situ Keratomileusis due to Flap Complications

Early Surface Ablation on Aborted LASIK Flaps

PURPOSE

To report the outcomes of a series of 16 patients who had secondary surface ablation within 4 weeks of an aborted femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) procedure.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of electronic medical record data from 2011 to 2015 was performed to identify eyes of patients who had an aborted FS-LASIK procedure followed by secondary surface ablation (photorefractive keratectomy or laser epithelial keratomileusis) within 4 weeks of the primary procedure. Patients were required to have at least three postoperative visits to be included in the study.

RESULTS

The review identified 20 aborted FS-LASIK procedures of 7,142 eyes (0.003%), of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. The most common reasons for abortion were incomplete (10) and decentered (3) flaps. Thirteen of 16 eyes were treated within 2 weeks. A total of 11 of 16 eyes achieved uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/20, 13 of 16 achieved UDVA of 20/25 or better, and 15 of 16 had a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/20. There were no intraoperative complications during the second procedure and there were no cases of diffuse lamellar keratitis. One patient developed postoperative haze with a CDVA of 20/25 and was lost to follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This case series indicates that early surface ablation (within 4 weeks) after an aborted FS-LASIK procedure may be performed with good visual outcomes. [J Refract Surg. 2019;35(2):121-125.].