Abstract:Objective: To investigate the incidence rate, risk factors, mechanisms of occurrence, influence of surgical effects on corneal endothelial cells, and the management and preventive measures of anterior chamber bubbles during femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods: In this retrospective study, 1 379 patients (2 749 eyes) in the PLA Hospital of 322 from February 2012 to November 2017, who underwent routine examinations and agreed to undergo LASIK surgery using femtosecond laser, were included in this research. The observation group included eyes with anterior chamber bubbles; the control group included the fellow eyes of patients who had anterior chamber bubbles in only one eye. Intraoperative and early postoperative parameters of eyes with anterior chamber bubbles were described and analyzed. Measurements and analyses included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal curvature, corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, spherical equivalent (SE), corneal diameter, corneal endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation, percentage of hexagonal endothelium cells, intraocular pressure, et al. A repeated measures analysis of variance and t-test were used for data analysis. Results: Twenty-five patients (27 eyes) had anterior chamber bubbles in 1 379 patients (2 749 eyes). The incidence rate of anterior chamber bubbles was 0.98%. Anterior chamber bubbles moved from the anterior chamber angle to the pupil. Locations were as follows: 12 eyes located on nasal side (44%), 9 eyes located on the bitemporal side (33%), 4 eyes located on the lower side (15%) and 2 eyes located on the upper side (7%). Anterior chamber bubbles were identified on 3 levels: 16 eyes were on the firstlevel (59%), 10 eyes were on the second-level (37%) and one eye was on the third-level (4%). The thirdlevel anterior chamber bubbles affected the self-tracking system, so LASIK surgery was finished using the manual identification system. When excimer laser cutting was performed on anterior chamber bubbles, auto frequency was used during eye shaking. The preoperative and postoperative differences between the control group (23 eyes) and observation group (23 eyes) were not statistically significant for parameters such as corneal endothelial cell density, corneal diameter, corneal curvature, corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, intraocular pressure, preoperative and postoperative MRSE, preoperative BCVA and postoperative UCVA. The difference in corneal diameter between the eyes in patients (25 cases) with anterior chamber bubbles and patients (1 354 cases) without anterior chamber bubbles was statistically significant (t=-3.28, P=0.003). The difference in corneal endothelial cell density between the control group and observation group was statistically significant (Fgroups=2.486, Pgroups=0.022), the difference between the preoperative and postoperative parameters for corneal endothelial cell density within the same group was not statistically significant (Ftime=1.342, Ptime=0.260) nor was the difference in percentage of hexagonal endothelium cells between the groups (Fgroups=0.469, Pgroups=0.497). The difference between preoperative and postoperative parameters for percentage of hexagnal endothelium cells within the same group was statistically significant (Ftime=5.966, Ptime=0.004). The difference in the coefficient of variation between the control and observation groups was not statistically significant (Fgroups=0.106, Pgroups=0.746), but the difference between preoperative and postoperative parameters in the percentage of the coefficient of variation within the same group was statistically significant (Ftime=21.248, Ptime<0.001). Conclusions: Anterior chamber bubbles are affected by the surgeon, race of the patients, equipment, corneal diameter, corneal flap diameter, the trabecular meshwork situation and pocket thickness. Gas bubbles may be entering the anterior chamber through the trabecular reticulum, and that can damage the corneal endothelial cells. Reducing the incidence rate of anterior chamber bubbles could boost visual quality
王兴存 朱立强 张广峰 杨海青 王勇敢 左文渊. 基于单中心FS-LASIK术中前房气泡的临床观察[J]. 中华眼视光学与视觉科学杂志, 2020, 22(6): 434-440.
Xingcun Wang, Liqiang Zhu, Guangfeng Zhang, Haiqing Yang, Yonggan Wang, Wenyuan Zuo. Clinical Observation of Anterior Chamber Bubbles Based on a Single Center during Femtosecond Laser in situ Keratomileusis. Chinese Journal of Optometry Ophthalmology and Visual science, 2020, 22(6): 434-440. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn115909-20190505-00131
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