Analysis of Planned and Postoperatively Measured Flap Thickness After LASIK Using the LenSx Multifunctional Femtosecond Laser System

PURPOSE: To evaluate LASIK corneal flaps using a multifunctional femtosecond laser suitable for cataract and corneal surgery (LenSx; Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Aliso Viejo, CA) and to compare the planned and postoperatively measured flap thickness using an anterior segment optical coherence tomography device (AS-OCT). METHODS: Twenty patients (38 eyes) diagnosed as having myopia and myopic astigmatism were enrolled. LASIK was performed using the LenSx femtosecond laser for intracorneal flaps and the Wavelight Allegretto 400 excimer laser (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) for intrastromal photoablation. Desired flap thickness and diameter were 140.0 ± 0.0 µ m and 8.5 ± 0.0 mm, respectively, whereas mean ablation depth and diameter of the excimer laser treatment were 67.9 ± 24.18 µ m and 6.5 ± 0.08 mm, respectively. Entered data of the LenSx femtosecond laser were used to determine desired flap thickness, whereas AS-OCT (RTVue; Optovue, Inc., Fremont, CA) was used to measure flap thickness postoperatively. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test, dependent paired t test, and Friedman test were used for comparison of dependent and repeated measures. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the planned and postoperatively measured flap thickness (140.0 ± 0.0 vs 140.28 ± 8.0 µ m; P = .4067). Interfaces of the flaps had even surfaces according to the images and calculations on the AS-OCT device ( P = .058). CONCLUSIONS: Application of this multifunctional femtosecond laser performing LASIK proved to be a safe and effective method regarding predictability of flap thickness. [ J Refract Surg. 2014;30(9):622–626.]