Assessment of the biometric modifications of the eye in LASIK during suction.

Purpose: To study the biometric modifications of the eyeball during suction in Laser assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK).

Methods: Observational and cross-sectional study. We studied 43 patients who underwent surgery for myopia and myopic astigmatism. Mean age was 38.3 ± 11.5 years, and 19 were female (44.2%). Conventional LASIK surgery with a manual microkeratome was performed. Before and during the suction maneuvre the following parameters were measured using an 11 Mhz biometric probe: aqueous depth (AQD), lens thickness (LT), vitreous cavity length (VCL) and axial length (AXL). Paired t-test was used to compare the biometric measurements before and during suction.

Results: The mean spherical equivalent refractive error was -4.5 ± 2.3 diopters. During suction, the AQD did not change significantly (p = 0.231). However, AXL and VCL increased by 0.12 mm and 0.22 mm respectively (p = 0.039 and <0.01) and LT decreased by 0.20 mm (p < 0.01). AXL increased in 42% of the eyes and decreased in 16%, VCL increased in 70% of the eyes and decreased in 9%, and the LT was reduced in 67% of the eyes.

Conclusions: Suction maneuvres during LASIK surgery produce changes of little magnitude in the eye globe, mainly a decrease in LT and an increase in VCL and AXL. Therefore, these modifications are expected to produce minimal anatomic alterations.