Recovery of corneal sensitivity after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy

PurposeTo evaluate the recovery of corneal sensitivity after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) for myopia.SettingDepartment of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.MethodsIn this prospective interventional case series, central corneal sensitivity (CCS) was measured using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer (Luneau Ophthalmologie) in 85 eyes of 50 patients before and 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after LASEK for the treatment of myopia. For analysis, the eyes were divided into 2 groups—the low–moderate myopia group (spherical equivalent [SE] −1.0 to −6.0 diopters [D]) and the high myopia group (SE −6.0 to −16.0 D)—and the correlation between ablation depth and CCS was evaluated.ResultsIn both groups, a significant decrease in CCS was present at 2 weeks and 1 month. In the low–moderate myopia group, the CCS recovered to preoperative values at 3 months. In the high myopia group, recovery of CCS was slower and preoperative values were reached only at the 6-month follow-up. Measured CCS was significantly correlated with the ablation depth used at the 3-month and 6-month examinations (r = −0.262 and r = −0.264, respectively; P<.05).ConclusionRecovery of corneal sensitivity began 1 month after LASEK and was completed by 3 months in eyes treated for low–moderate myopia and at 6 months in eyes with high myopia. The depth of ablation during surgery affected the recovery of corneal sensitivity.