EC Ophthalmology

Research Article Volume 14 Issue 4 - 2023

Corneal Endothelial Cell Changes in Mechanical Versus Alcohol-Assisted Epithelial Debridement During Photorefractive Keratectomy

Mohammed Arish1, Mina Dahmardeh1, Meisam Sargazi1*, Mohadese Ahmadzade2 and Hamidreza Rouientan2

1Alzahra Eye Hospital, Ophthalmology Department, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
2Ophthalmic Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

*Corresponding Author: Meisam Sargazi, Alzahra Eye Hospital, Ophthalmology Department, Zahedan university of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Received: February 20, 2023; Published: March 27, 2023



Purpose: This study aimed to compare the changes in corneal endothelial cells between mechanical isolation of the epithelium and alcohol-assisted isolation six months after photorefractive keratectomy.

Methods: This randomized, controlled trial included 80 eyes from 40 patients undergoing PRK for myopia and myopic astigmatism correction. Each patient was randomly assigned to undergo alcohol-assisted epithelial removal or mechanical epithelial removal.

Results: Forty patients with an average age of 25 years (range, 19 to 55 years) were studied. The alcohol group had a lower postoperative cell density than the mechanical group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.062). In the alcohol-assisted PRK group, the size of the cells was smaller, but the difference between groups before and after surgery was not statistically significant (p = 0.52). There was no statistically significant difference between the frequency of hexagonal cells in any of the groups.

Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, there was no significant difference in endothelial cell parameters between the mechanical and alcohol-based epithelial debridement groups. The method of debridement is determined by the surgeon. We recommend a study with a longer follow-up period and a larger statistical sample size.

Keywords: Alcohol-Assisted Photorefractive Keratectomy; Mechanical Epithelial Debridement; Photorefractive Keratectomy; Corneal Endothelial Cell; Specular Microscopy

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Meisam Sargazi., et al. Corneal Endothelial Cell Changes in Mechanical Versus Alcohol-Assisted Epithelial Debridement During Photorefractive Keratectomy. EC Ophthalmology 14.4 (2023): 15-19.