observation of corneal endothelial cells after femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis

METHODS: From May to September in 2013, 88 eyes of 45 patients with myopia who accepted Femto-LASIK were enrolled in this study. The morphology of central corneal endothelial cells was measured by a non-contact corneal endothelial cell analyzer before, 1mo and 1a after surgery. The number, density, average size, size standard deviation, size coefficient of variation and hexagonality of the corneal endothelial cells were observed. All the measurements were analyzed by statistical analysis.

RESULTS: All patients underwent operation smoothly, and no complication was observed during and after surgery; One month after surgery, the endothelial cell density(ECD)was 2 815.34±297.07/mm², which had a 2.64% decrease compared with preparative ECD(t=4.60, P=0.00), there was no statistical significance between ECD measurements of 1mo and 1a after surgery(P>0.05); One month after surgery, the size standard deviation(S_SD)was 118.47±31.58μm², which increased significantly compared with the preoperative S_SD(t=-3.87, P=0.03), there was no statistical significance between S_SD measurements of 1mo and 1a after surgery(P>0.05); After surgery, the number, hexagonality, average size and size coefficient of variation of the corneal endothelial cells didn't change statistically(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: In the early period after Femto-LASIK, the ECD decreased slightly, however this kind of surgery did not have significant harm to the function of corneal endothelial cells, and the surgery didn't cause the progressive loss of corneal endothelial cells.