Management of the corneal flap in laer in itu keratomileui after previou radial keratotomy

PURPOE: To report a method of managing the corneal flap in patient having laer in itu keratomileui for the treatment of reidual refractive error after radial keratotomy. DEIGN: Retropective cae erie. METHOD: Intraoperative dehicence of radial keratotomy wound occurred in 7 eye of 6 patient treated with laer in itu keratomileui for reidual myopia or atigmatim or hyperopia 5 to 15 year after radial keratotomy. To minimize extenion of thee tear, the flap wa initially rolled like a carpet toward the hinge before the ablation and then rolled away from the hinge to it original poition after the ablation. REULT: Uing thi method of managing the laer in itu keratomileui flap in patient with previou radial keratotomy, all eye had ucceful laer in itu keratomileui, with 1-year potoperative uncorrected viual acuity ranging between 20/16 and 20/25. No eye had lo of pectacle-corrected viion or interface epithelial ingrowth. CONCLUION: Laer in itu keratomileui ha proved to be an effective treatment for correction of reidual refractive error after radial keratotomy. The urgical technique ued in thee cae wa targeted at minimizing hearing force in lifting the corneal flap to avoid extenion of radial keratotomy wound dehicence, which could lead to epithelial ingrowth and lo of bet-corrected viion.