Diamond burr superficial keratectomy for recurrent corneal erosions.

AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of diamond burr superficial keratectomy in the treatment of recurrent corneal erosions.

METHODS: A retrospective review of 54 eyes (47 patients) with recurrent corneal erosions treated with diamond burr superficial keratectomy. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuities and refractions, slit lamp examination findings, and the incidence of recurrent erosion after keratectomy were studied. Specular microscopy was also performed in six patients before and after surgery.

RESULTS: 30 eyes had underlying map dot fingerprint anterior basement membrane corneal dystrophy, while 24 eyes did not. Postoperative follow up time ranged from 3 to 53 months (mean 12.3 months). Corneal erosion recurred in three eyes (6%) after diamond burr superficial keratectomy. This procedure improved the best corrected visual acuity from 20/26 to 20/22 by logMAR statistical evaluation (p=0.002) and caused very little change in the refractive spherical equivalent. No endothelial cell loss or changes in morphology were noted on specular microscopy.

CONCLUSION: Diamond burr superficial keratectomy appears to be an effective and safe method of treating recurrent erosions and is a good alternative therapy to needle stromal micropuncture, Nd:YAG induced epithelial adhesion, and excimer laser surface ablation.