How common is epithelial ingrowth after LASIK?

Epithelial ingrowth after LASIK is a known complication occurring in 0.2% to 0.4% of cases. The incidence may be higher, up to 15% of cases, when adherence to meticulous surgical technique is not followed.

What is epithelial ingrowth in the eye?

Epithelial ingrowth occurs when the corneal epithelial cells grow within the lamellar interface beneath the LASIK flap. This may result in an inflammatory response, corneal edema, irregular astigmatism, or melting of the LASIK flap.

How common is epithelial ingrowth?

Ingrowth of epithelium into the corneal flap interface is a relatively uncommon complication of LASIK. The incidence of visually significant epithelial ingrowth is about 1% in primary cases and 2% on enhancement cases in microkeratome-assisted flap creation.

Can epithelial ingrowth go away by itself?

Conclusions: Epithelial ingrowth can occur after a long interval after primary LASIK. In our case, the epithelial cells disappeared without any surgical intervention over a period of 6 months.

Does the epithelial grow back?

In all cases, a new epithelium grows underneath the epithelial flap. The two layers of epithelium compete with each other, and while the remodeling takes place, the surface will continue to be irregular. Until the new epithelium takes over and the damaged, more superficial layer falls off, vision will remain poor.

What causes epithelial ingrowth?

Possible causes: implantation of epithelial cells during surgery, poor-quality blade, improper repositioning of the flap or gap between stromal bed and flap. Complication: irregular astigmatism, flap melting.

Can epithelial ingrowth cause blindness?

Most epithelial ingrowth does not affect vision and does not require treatment.

Can epithelial cells be treated?

Treatment will depend on the cause of the abnormal number of epithelial cells. Most UTIs are bacterial and can be treated with an antibiotic. Drinking more water can also speed healing. For viral UTIs, doctors may prescribe medication called antivirals.

How long does it take for epithelial to heal?

The entire epithelium is turned over in approximately seven to 10 days. This process is accelerated during wound healing and generally leads to rapid healing for corneal injuries that only involve the epithelial cells.

What is an epithelial defect?

Disease. Corneal epithelial defects are focal areas of epithelial (outermost corneal layer) loss; they can be due to mechanical trauma, corneal dryness, neurotrophic disease, post surgical changes, infection, or any other of a variety of etiologies.

What is epithelial growth?

Epithelial ingrowth is the presence of corneal epithelium in an area where it does not belong. After LASIK, epithelial ingrowth can occur in the interface between the flap and the stromal bed of the patient’s cornea.

What is epithelial cell abnormality?

Epithelial cell abnormalities This means that the cells lining the cervix or vagina show changes that might be cancer or a pre-cancer. This category is divided into several groups for squamous cells and glandular cells.

What does Epithelial ingrowth look like after LASIK?

Epithelial Ingrowth after Lasik appears as whitish islands in the cornea when illuminated. Epithelial ingrowth is a relatively benign complication of conventional or custom wavefront Lasik and Bladeless Lasik that can resolve on its own or may require the Lasik flap to be lifted and the cells removed.

What is the term for cells growing under the LASIK flap?

Epithelial ingrowth is the term for cells growing under the LASIK flap. A medical study of postmortem corneas after “successful” LASIK found that epithelial ingrowth of varying degrees occurrs in 47% of corneas ( see abstract below ). The risk of epithelial ingrowth is greater for reoperations involving lifting the flap.

Where are the epithelial cells located in LASIK?

One year later this grouping of epithelial cells broke up and migrated to the central area of the cornea beneath the LASIK flap. The “glitter-like” appearance seen in this photo is actually epithelial cells that have migrated from the corneal surface to areas beneath the LASIK flap.

Can a LASIK stromal flap cause epithelial ingrowth?

PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik, RLE, and P-IOL do not have this Lasik stromal flap and are not subject to epithelial ingrowth. Cells do what cells do: divide and multiply. If the epithelial cells start growing under the Lasik flap, they can cause bumps in the flap. This is called epithelial ingrowth and may provide vision that is out of focus.