Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of hypertonic saline (5% sodium chloride) in execution of epithelial flap in laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (HS-LASEK) for treatment of moderate and low myopia.
Methods: 48 patients (96 eyes) with moderate and low myopia were divided into 2 groups. In Group A (A-LASEK, 22 patients 44 eyes), 20% alcohol was used to create the epithelial flap; in Group B (HS-LASEK, 26 patients 52 eyes), 5% sodium chloride was used to create the epithelial flap. Postoperative visual acuity, refraction power, time of epithelial healing, and haze were recorded. The patients were followed-up for 6 months.
Results: The mean time of epithelial healing was (4.52 +/- 0.21) days in A-LASEK eyes, while (3.84 +/- 0.39) days in HS-LASEK eyes, the difference of epithelial healing time between the two groups was statistically significant. Visual acuity in all patients were improved by the surgery, 3 days after operation, visual acuity reached 0.8 or better in 27.3% (12/44) of A-LASEK eyes and 48.1% (25/52) of HS-LASEK eyes, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Two weeks after operation corneal haze was found in 13 eyes (29.5%) of A-LASEK group and 15 eyes (28.8%) of HS-LASEK group, but the grade haze was below 0.5 and had no effect on visual acuity, after 3 months, haze was noted in 10% of eyes in each groups, the difference of corneal haze between the two groups was no statistically significant (P > 0.05). One day after operation 12 eyes (27.3%) of A-LASEK and 6 eyes (11.5%) of HS-LASEK had obvious pain, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: HS-LASEK is a safe surgery for the correction of moderate and low myopia as A-LASEK, and have a better curative effect than A-LASEK.