Underablation

(Systematic underablation, sectoral underablation, irregular ablation)
 

A complication of laser eye surgery that is not well understood but which may cause symptomatic ablation defects as a result of the laser not fully delivering the intended ablation.

A study in JCRS alerted us to the potential for ablation defects apparently resulting not from corneal healing irregularities or surgical complications but rather from the delivery of the ablation itself. The article discussed a phenomenon it dubbed "systematic underablation". Since then we have heard discussed potential variations on this theme as a result of which we are listing each of them.

Systematic underablation: Where apparently a miniature version of the intended ablation is achieved, resulting in a small effective optical zone accompanied by vision quality complaints.

Inferior underablation: Where the top half of the ablation probably was delivered normally but the bottom half did not get a full treatment. Inferior underablation can easily be confused with superior decentration.

ablation defects

Brown, SM, Campbell C: Systematic underablation in laser in situ keratomileusis. Ablation pattern identified by advanced topographical analysis. J Cataract Refract Surg 2003; 29: 1621-1925.

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Last updated 1 Dec 2004.