Femtosecond laser–assisted anterior lamellar keratoplasty in recurrent epithelial ingrowth after laser in situ keratomileusis

Abstract

A 25-year-old woman presented with extensive epithelial ingrowth and corneal scarring in the left eye after a laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) retreatment 1 year after primary LASIK. The patient had earlier enhancement for the treatment of overcorrection and subsequently had a flap lift and epithelial ingrowth scraping with alcohol application but had a recurrence in 2 months. Slitlamp biomicroscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography showed extensive epithelial ingrowth with thinning and partial resorption of the LASIK flap. Femtosecond laser–assisted anterior lamellar keratoplasty was performed in the left eye to excise the flap along with a margin of normal stroma. Six months after the procedure, the patient’s corrected distance visual acuity improved to 20/40. Femtosecond laser–assisted anterior lamellar keratoplasty is a good treatment for extensive recurrent epithelial ingrowth associated with flap thinning and scarring after LASIK.