post-Lasik Ectasia with Epithelial Ingrowth, then PRK, then Haze

The photos below are the right and left eye of a patient with post-LASIK corneal ectasia and (epithelial ingrowth) who underwent PRK surgery 1 year after the ectasia diagnosis was made. The first photo shows a scleral lens over this patient’s right eye. Look carefully and not the white-grey haze in the center of this photo opposite the pupil. This haze was created by the PRK surgery and is permanent. Toward the left side of this photo note the elongated white-grey haze. This is the epithelial ingrowth. This is caused by epithelial cells (the cells lining the corneal surface) getting underneath the LASIK flap where they do not belong. The 2nd photo shows the epithelial ingrowth in the left cornea. These epithelial cells can migrate and proliferate creating vision loss years later making it mandatory that this patient’s eyes are examined at regular intervals.