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A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the cornea. When there is trauma to the cornea, such as with a finger
or object, the epithelium, Bowman's layer, and stroma of the cornea can be scratched, resulting in a corneal
abrasion. A patient with a corneal abrasion undoubtedly should not
have conventional or custom wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, or Epi-Lasik until the corneal abrasion has healed.
Lasik Induced
Conventional or custom wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, or Epi-Lasik
all require the use of a microkeratome that can cause a corneal abrasion or exacerbate
an existing abrasion. Newer mechanical microkeratomes that use a
metal blade exert less lateral stress on the surface of the cornea
and are therefore less likely to cause an abrasion. The
femtosecond laser microkeratome induces very little lateral stress
on the surface of the cornea and would be less likely to cause a
corneal abrasion.
Lens-based refractive surgery techniques P-IOL and RLE do not
involve the surface of the cornea in the same manner as cornea-based
refractive surgery and do not have the same probability of causing
a corneal abrasion, however a distressed epithelium is predisposed
to corneal abrasion in all situations. Maladies such as ABMD need to be diagnosed and treated before considering refractive
surgery. To avoid corneal abrasions, a detailed examination of the
health of the eye performed by a competent eye physician is advised.
Symptoms
People with a corneal abrasion will often complain of pain and
foreign body sensation. The eye will often be red. Light sensitivity
is often reported. Visual acuity may decrease slightly, greatly, or fluctuate.
There are may very serious maladies of the eye that have the
same symptoms of eye pain, redness, sensitivity to light, and decreased
vision but are not corneal abrasion. Any person who is experiencing
these symptoms should be evaluated by an eye physician.
Treatment
Although the corneal surface will often rapidly heal on its own,
it is very important that an eye doctor carefully monitor the progress
of healing. The patient may require antibiotics for the eye or other
medications.
For some types of corneal abrasion, PTK is a recommended treatment. PTK is essentially PRK for purposes other than refractive error. For this reason,
PRK and its cousin LASEK may (emphasis on "may") be appropriate. Similarly,
in some instances Epi-Lasik may be appropriate.
Looking For Best Lasik Surgeon?
If you are ready to choose a doctor to be evaluated for conventional
or custom wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, PRK, or any refractive surgery procedure, we recommend you consider a doctor who has been evaluated and certified by the USAEyes nonprofit organization.
Locate a USAEyes Evaluated & Certified Lasik Doctor.
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