Refractive Surgery Flashcards
(84 cards)
what are 3 types of incisional refractive surgeries?
radial keratotomy (RK), astigmatic keratotomy (AK), relaxing incisions (limbal or peripheral)
what are 2 types of thermal refractive surgeries?
laser thermal keratotomy (LTK) and conductive keratoplasty
what are 4 types of excimer laser refractive surgeries?
PRK, LASEK, epi-LASIK and LASIK
what are 2 types of intraocular surgeries?
phakic IOL’s and refractive lens exchange
which procedure steepens the cornea and which one flattens the cornea?
incisional = flattens
thermal = steepens
what 3 types of cuts will result in more flattening of the cornea?
larger, central and deeper cuts
How is radial keratotomy performed and what is it used for?
diamond blade - radial/tangential incisions used for myopia and astigmatism correction

what are some con’s for radial keratotomy?
fluctuating vision, hyperopic shift over time, and corneal integrity is permanently weakened
when is astigmatic keratotomy performed?
during cataract surgery - limbal relaxing incisions or post PKP

what results did the PERK study find with radial keratotomy?
43% of eyes experienced a hyperopic shift of 1.00D or more at 10-year follow-up
what are intrastromal corneal ring segments made of and why are they used?
made of PMMA implanted in deep stroma to modify corneal curvature (keratoconus)

what is the minimum corneal thickness needed for intrastromal corneal ring segments and what are 2 ways to create the pockets?
450 microns (inserted 70-80% corneal thickness) diamond blade pocket creator or femtosecond infrared laser Nd: glass laser
what are the two types of intrastromal corneal ring segments and how are they different?
Intacts = hexagonal shape
Ferrara rings = triangular shape
how is laser thermal keratoplasty performed?
a series of radial treatment spots are placed outside the visual axis with a Holmium: YAG laser
what is laser thermal keratoplasty used for?
causes shrinkage of stromal collagen - steepens cornea to treat hyperopia or presbyopia (effect regresses within several years)
what is conductive keratoplasty? what is the advantage over thermal keratoplasty?
a probe applanates the corneal surface - radio waves heat/shrink collagen less risk of irregular astigmatism and regression
what type of laser is used in excimer refractive surgery?
argon-fluoride gas laser (emits cool, UV pulses = 193nm and vaporizes tissue at 1/4000mm/pulse)
which procedures use excimer lasers? what does it correct?
PRK, LASEK, epi-LASIK and LASIK can correct refractive errors and higher order aberrations
what happens in photoreactive keratectomy (PRK)?
corneal epithelium is mechanically removed (blade or ethanol) - excimer laser photoablates Bowman’s and anterior stroma - either flattens or steepens cornea

what are some indications for PRK?
thin cornea, cost, mild-moderate refractive errors, dry eyes, residual refractive errors (cataract sx, PKP, refractive surgery), and PTK (therapeutic keratomy)

what are some primary issues with PRK?
significant post-op discomfort, delayed VA recovery, and development of stromal corneal haze (2-3 weeks)
what can you put on the cornea during surgery to reduce the risk of corneal haze?
Mitomycin- C
how is LASEK performed?
alcohol is used to loosen the epithelium - cells are harvested - rolled back into place after treatment (similar to PRK but less discomfort and quicker VA recovery)
how is epi-LASIK performed?
an epi-microkeratome is used to remove the corneal flap (less discomfort than PRK and more cells survive than with LASEK)









