Noah Stone, the Blog.

Someone told me today that the corneal flap made during LASIK surgery never heals. I've been having nightmares that I dislodge a flap doing something stupid, i.e. blowing compressed air from a can directly into my eye (this is a dream, remember). I searched online and according to every source, including the FDA, but not including the TLC Laser Center's website, this is the case. The flap never really heals. In fact, should one need followup LASIK surgery, a new flap will not be created. The doctor simply pulls the old one back.

I did some searching of the public medical journals and read two cases of post-LASIK corneal dislocation due to eye trauma, including a guy who caught a football with his eye - way to keep your eye on the ball, buddy. Both cases required surgery to re-"attach" the corneal flap, but 20/20 vision was restored. That's good news. Here's the better news: The Air Force conducted a study titled, "Laser in situ keratomileusis flap stablility during simulated aircraft ejection in a rabbit model."

In the study, 25 New Zealand white rabbits underwent LASIK corneal flap surgery - they didn't get the laser bit, though - then were subjected to the Air Force cockpit ejection simulator (I bet that's going to show up on some google searches) with 9 G's of force.

Then the little bunnies were euthanized and their eyes were observed for changes. No, that's not the good news, silly, this is: "CONCLUSIONS: Healed LASIK flaps as created in this rabbit model without laser ablation are stable when subjected to a rapid vertical ejection at nine times the force of gravity."

I for one feel much better. Thank you, bunnies.