Ablation depth crucial in corneal sensitivity recovery within 3 months of LASEK

Corneal sensitivity in individuals undergoing laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratectomy (LASEK) refractive surgery experiences a temporary decrease, particularly in the center of the cornea, but returns to preoperative levels within 3 months, according to a study.

The study, conducted on 90 individuals with stabilized myopia of -1.00 to -7.00 diopters and astigmatism of less than 2.00 diopters, investigated the sensation levels in five corneal regions. These regions included the center and 4 mid-peripheral areas – nasal, inferior, temporal, and superior, each measured at a distance of 2 mm from the corneal center. Corneal sensitivity was measured at 3 different time points: before LASEK, 1 month, and 3 months post-surgery.

The highest level of corneal sensitivity pre-surgery was found at the center of the cornea and this region also experienced the most significant loss of sensitivity post-surgery. The sensation in all measured corneal regions showed a significant reduction 1 month after LASEK, only to return to preoperative levels by the 3-month mark (mean sensitivity levels for all corneal regions pre-operation: 58.2±6.48, 1 month post-operation: 57.3±5.84, 3 months post-operation: 58.2±5.49; P < 0.05).

The study identified a significant relationship between ablation depth during surgery and corneal sensitivity changes in the center and temporal regions (P < 0.05).

Reference
Mirzajani A, Bouyeh A, Khezri F, et al. How long does the recovery of corneal sensitivity in different corneal regions take after LASEK? Int J Ophthalmol. 2023;16(12):2056-2062. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2023.12.19. PMID: 38111940; PMCID: PMC10700069.