Increased risk for flap dislocation with perioperative brimonidine use in femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis

Purpose

To determine whether brimonidine 0.2% minimizes the occurrence of subconjunctival hemorrhages without inducing postoperative flap complications in femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

Setting

Centro Oftalmológico Marqués de Sotelo and Hospital NISA Virgen del Consuelo, Valencia, Spain.

Methods

This prospective contralateral-eye interventional study evaluated consecutive patients who had bilateral simultaneous femtosecond LASIK for myopia (spherical equivalent [SE] range −1.00 to −8.00 diopters) performed with an IntraLase femtosecond laser and a Visx Star 2 excimer laser. One eye of each patient received a single drop of brimonidine tartrate 0.2% (brimonidine group) and the other eye, a single drop of a balanced salt solution (control group).

Results

The study evaluated 136 eyes (68 patients). The difference in the incidence of subconjunctival hemorrhages was statistically significantly lower in the brimonidine group (mean score 2.24 ± 1.96 [SD]) than in the control group (mean score 7.61 ± 2.72) (P<.001). However, no eye in the control group and 7 eyes (10.4%) in the brimonidine group had a dislocated flap with folds on the first postoperative day (P = .016). All eyes with dislocated flaps required surgical intervention. At 6 months, there was no significant difference between groups in the percentage of eyes achieving 20/20 or better uncorrected distance visual acuity, in the mean SE, or in the enhancement rate.

Conclusions

Brimonidine prevented the formation of subconjunctival hemorrhages after femtosecond LASIK but increased the risk for flap dislocation. Thus, surgeons are cautioned against the use of perioperative brimonidine to decrease hemorrhagic complications in femtosecond LASIK.