Abstract:AIM: To analyze the therapeutic effects and clinical characteristics of free-flap epipolis laser in situkeratomileusis (Epi-LASIK). METHODS: In this prospective case-series study, 27 eyes of 27 myopic and myopic astigmatism patients underwent Epi-LASIK with free-flap as group A and the other 27 eyes underwent standard Epi-LASIK as group B. Symptoms, slit-lamp examination, uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), spherical equivalent refractive error, intraocular pressure, haze were observed in these patients in 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS: Pain grade: Group A 1 to 3, with an average of 2.2; Group B 1 to 3, with an average of 2.3. Eye sensation duration: 1 to 3 days in group A, an average of 2.2 days; Group B 1 to 3 days, an average of 2.9 days. Epithelial healing time: group A was 3 to 6 days, an average of 4.4 days; 5 to 7 days in Group B, with an average of 5.8 days. Compared with the preoperative best- corrected visual acuity (BCVA), after six months, 1 (4.0%) eye in each group was with UCVA lower than one line, and the remaining 52 (96.0%) were at or higher than the preoperative BCVA. No BCVA declined. Diopter (spherical degree) group A -0.5D- +0.75D equivalent, an average of 0.28±0.27D; group B -0.25D - +0.68D, with an average 0.23±0.26D. Haze grading less than or equal to 05 in 19 (70.4%) eyes in group A, grade 1 in eight (29.6%); group B was with less than or equal to grade 0.5 in 18(66.7%), grade 1 in nine (33.3%) . There were no haze grade higher than or equal to 2.CONCLUSION: Both the free-flap Epi-LASIK and the ordinary Epi-LASIK have safety, predictive and refractive stability, but the free-flap Epi-LASIK surgery significantly shortened the time of stimulating symptoms and improve the recovery of visual acuity.
