Corneal ectasia following LASIK surgery causes changes in the shape of the cornea and can lead to decreased vision. In this episode of A State of Sight, Isaac Porter, MD explains post-LASIK ectasia and discusses some of the risk factors that are thought to be associated with it.
Laser vision correction procedures thin the cornea with the excimer laser to include the power needed in glasses or contact lenses onto the eye. Corneal ectasia is a change seen after LASIK that results in a progressive steepening and distortion of the cornea. After the procedure, corneas that develop ectasia may not have enough strength to maintain a consistent shape. This can result in a loss of the correction from the laser treatment and distorted or decreased vision. Initially, this could be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, but may require collagen crosslinking or corneal transplantation in severe cases.
Risk factors for post-LASIK ectasia that have been identified include thinner corneas, larger laser treatments, younger age patients, and abnormal corneal topography. Do you have any questions about LASIK or ectasia? Please post below!
For more info about corneal collagen crosslinking, see A State of Sight #27: • Corneal collagen cross...
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