Laser flap complications during LASIK surgery are infrequent and treatable, study finds

Intraoperative LASIK eye surgery complications related to the creation of the corneal flap with a femtosecond laser are infrequent and usually can be corrected during the same surgical session, according to a study published in Journal of Refractive Surgery.

Researchers at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City) and the University of Iowa (Iowa City) conducted a prospective study of 3,009 consecutive all-laser LASIK surgeries performed from August 2002 through July 2009. In all cases, the LASIK flap was created with an IntraLase femtosecond laser (Abbott Medical Optics).

Analysis of the study data revealed only 11 intraoperative complications occurred (0.37 percent).

Of these, there were eight cases of a break in the suction between the head of the laser and the cornea. Seven of these were treated with reapplication of the laser; one case was treated with surgical dissection of the side-cut of the flap edge.

One case of incomplete flap creation was treated with surgical dissection and two adherent flaps were treated with reapplication of laser energy and surgical dissection.

All eleven LASIK surgeries with intraoperative laser flap complications were successfully completed during the same operative session.

source: Refractive Surgery News