Cataractogenesis after Repeat Laser in situ Keratomileusis

• Main Authors: Ahmad M. Mansour, Marwan Ghabra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Karger Publishers 2012-08-01
• Series: Case Reports in Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Photorefractive keratectomy; Excimer laser; Cataract; Cataractogenesis; Ultraviolet radiation; Oxidative stress; Refractive surgery complication
• Online Access: http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/342134

There has been the unsubstantiated clinical impression that laser refractive surgery accelerates cataract development along with solid experimental data about the cataractogenic effects of excimer laser treatment. We present the first documented case of significant cataract formation in a young myope after repeat excimer laser ablation necessitating phacoemulsification with a posterior chamber implant. Proposed explanations include focusing of the ablation wave on the posterior capsule (acoustic wave lens epithelial damage), photooxidative stress of the lens (ultraviolet and inflammatory oxidative stress), and corticosteroid-induced cataract (lens toxicity).