Device offers good predictability of flap thickness

Paris-The Schwind microkeratome (Schwind Technologies) is a safe instrument and allows creation of flaps with predictable thickness, according to Ioannis Aslanides, MD, and Vinod Kumar, MD.

Dr. Aslanides is clinical director, refractive surgery and glaucoma, Vardinoyian-nion Eye Institute of Crete, Greece, and Dr. Kumar is presently a consultant ophthalmic surgeon, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, and the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, United Kingdom.

Dr. Aslanides reported that the flap thicknesses in the first and second eyes of each patient were a mean of 122.3 ±15.6 and 114.4 ±16.3 µm, respectively (average, 118.4 ±16.7 µm). The flap diameters were 9.55 ±0.37 and 9.51 ±0.36 mm, respectively (average, 9.53 ±0.37 mm) and the hinges were 4.56 ±0.55 and 4.54 ±0.48 mm, respectively (average, 4.55 ±0.52 mm).

There was no correlation between flap thickness and corneal thickness, K measurements, or refractive error. During the surgeries, there were three flap displacements. No visible interface debris was observed. Importantly, Dr. Aslanides noted that on the first day after the surgery the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.9 or better in 82% of eyes.

"Based on these results, we found the Schwind microkeratome to be safe and to provide excellent interface clarity and good predictability for flap thickness. In addition, multiple use of the blade results in a thinner flap," Dr. Aslanides stated.

Sixty-two patients with myopia were included in this study. The mean patient age was 33 years (range, 20 to 52 years). In the eyes treated with the Schwind microkeratome, the preoperative spherical error was 5.69 ±2.60 D and in the eyes treated with the Moria M2 microkeratome, the mean spherical error was 5.67 ±2.22 D.