Purpose. To evaluate the changes in epithelial thickness profile following transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (T-PRK) for myopia and to investigate the effect of epithelial remodeling on corneal asphericity. Methods. Forty-four patients (44 right eyes) who underwent T-PRK were retrospectively evaluated. Epithelial thickness was measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomograph...

Objective: To compare the ocular surface changes following Femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis (Femto-LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Material Methods: TThis prospective study included 74 eyes of 37 patients: 34 were Femto-LASIK group, 40 PRK group. Schirmer test, tear break-up time, conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) used to determine before 1 month, 3 months after or Fe...

Specific factors from the corneal epithelium underlying the stimulation of stromal fibrosis and myofibroblast formation in corneal wound healing have not been fully elucidated. Given that exosomes are known to transfer bioactive molecules among cells and play crucial roles in wound healing, angiogenesis, and cancer, we hypothesized that corneal epithelial cell-derived exosomes may gain access t...

PURPOSE To evaluate epithelial healing and visual outcome after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) without alcohol de-epithelialization and to compare this technique to photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in myopia. METHODS In a series of 1953 patients undergoing bilateral myopic PRK, an epithelial flap could be obtained by manual de-epithelialization in the left eye of 56 patient...

PURPOSE To report a corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) mushroom shape demarcation line profile after limited Bowman's membrane removal by phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). METHODS Case report. RESULTS A twenty-one-year-old male with progressive keratoconus underwent mechanical epithelial debridement (at an 8.5 mm zone) followed by PTK (at a 5.0 mm zone and in a 10 μm depth) and CXL. No ...

orneal haze is the most serious complication of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and has been attributed to normal healing processes. 1-3 The prediction of which patients are likely to develop haze is of the utmost importance in the evaluation of patients for PRK. We noted that while removing the epithelium prior to corneal ablation, three distinct types of cornea can be appreciated: 1) normal...

PURPOSE To characterize the velocity of epithelial migration after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with 3 different corneal ablation patterns. SETTING Department of Ophthalmology, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy. METHODS Fifteen patients (30 eyes) with mild to moderate myopia and with simple to compound myopic astigmatism were enrolled for this study. The surgical procedure consi...

PURPOSE To report corneal epithelial defects (CEDs) and delayed epithelial healing after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection and to describe delayed corneal epithelial healing with topical administration of bevacizumab in an experimental rabbit model. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed on 850 eyes of 850 patients with neovascular eye disease and diabetic macular edema who...

PURPOSE To determine the transcription pattern of Nod-like receptors (NLRs) and inflammasome components (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD [ASC], CARD inhibitor of NFkB-activating ligands [Cardinal], and caspase-1) in human corneal epithelial cells obtained from healthy individuals undergoing photorefractive keratectomy and in immortalized human corneal epithelial cells ...