Clearview Eye and Laser Medical Center

Monday, February 11, 2008

Corneal Ectasia: Rare Complication of LASIK

Corneal ectasia happens after LASIK very infrequently. It arises from the flap that is created on the corneal surface as the first step in LASIK vision correction. The flap must not be cut too deeply. If it runs too deep, it could damage the cornea's structural integrity. The cornea has several crucial jobs to do if we are to see well. One is to let light through and bend it at the right angle. Another is to contain the eye's internal pressure. It needs to have a minimal thickness to contain the pressure successfully.

If the cornea were to be weakened by a flap cut too deeply, it could start to bulge forward from the pressure behind it. This is corneal ectasia and it impairs your vision, making you more nearsighted. There is no way to correct this new nearsightedness, as another LASIK treatment would remove more tissue and weaken the cornea further. The only way forward would be a corneal transplant.

We each have corneas of a specific thickness – some are too thin to have LASIK safely done. Corneal thickness is one of the things tested in determining your candidacy for LASIK. At Clearview Eye and Laser, we screen our candidates very thoroughly. Among many other things, we measure corneal thickness and do corneal topography to make sure there is enough corneal tissue for a safe eye surgery.

Please contact us for a consultation and eye examination if you are thinking of having any vision correction.

posted by JennyK at 4:20 PM

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San Diego LASIK Center

Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S. :: ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
6255 Lusk Blvd., Suite 100 :: San Diego, California 92121

“She’s the Surgeon to See”