TY - JOUR TI - Epi-Bowman Blunt Keratectomy Versus Diluted EtOH Epithelial Removal in Myopic Photorefractive Keratectomy: A Prospective Contralateral Eye Study AU - Vingopoulos, F. AU - Kanellopoulos, A.J. JO - Cornea : The Journal of Cornea and External Disease PY - 2019 VL - 38 TODO - 5 SP - 612-616 PB - Lippincott Williams and Wilkins SN - 0277-3740, 1536-4798 TODO - 10.1097/ICO.0000000000001863 TODO - alcohol; chloramphenicol; dexamethasone; dispersadron c; moxifloxacin; proxymetacaine; tropicamide, adult; Article; astigmatism; clinical article; controlled study; cornea epithelium; epi bowman blunt keratectomy; epithelization; female; follow up; human; intermethod comparison; keratectomy; male; myopia; optical coherence tomography; pachymetry; pain intensity; photorefractive keratectomy; postoperative pain; priority journal; prospective study; randomized controlled trial; slit lamp microscopy; visual analog scale; adolescent; Bowman membrane; devices; myopia; photorefractive keratectomy; physiology; procedures; visual acuity; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; Astigmatism; Bowman Membrane; Female; Humans; Male; Myopia; Pain, Postoperative; Photorefractive Keratectomy; Prospective Studies; Visual Acuity; Young Adult TODO - Purpose: To compare the outcomes and complications of Epi-Bowman blunt keratectomy (EBK) using a blunt epikeratome (Epi-Clear, Orca Surgical, Israel), with alcohol delamination of the corneal epithelium during photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in contralateral eyes. Methods: This prospective, randomized contralateral eye study included 44 eyes of 22 patients undergoing PRK for bilateral myopia or myopic astigmatism. In each patient, epithelial delimitation was performed using an Epi-Clear epikeratome EBK (EBK group) on 1 eye and diluted ethanol (EtOH) on the fellow eye (EtOH group). Postoperative pain, epithelial healing, epithelial profile, and visual outcome were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The mean postoperative pain scores were 0.37 ± 0.25 for the EBK group and 0.82 ± 0.22 for the EtOH group (P = 0.043). The mean epithelial defect size at day 3 postoperatively was 1.61 ± 1.46 and 2.25 ± 1.69 mm2, respectively (P = 0.034). The postoperative 3-month remaining mean spherical equivalent was 0.04 ± 0.49 diopters for the EBK group and 0.21 ± 0.26 D for the EtOH group (P = 0.520). There was no significant difference in UCVA and BCVA between the groups. Conclusions: Our data suggest that this novel EBK device and technique may minimize postoperative pain, accelerate re-epithelialization, and offer earlier visual recovery, compared with EtOH when used for myopic PRK. Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. ER -