Corneal Biomechanical and Hydration Model before and after Refractive Surgery.  (Grzybowski and Roberts) A combination of topography, wavefront, reflectivity, and autorefraction data will be used to create a model of corneal biomechanical response to refractive surgery that includes the critical factor of corneal hydration.  Clinical measurements on  20 LASIK and 20 normal subjects were obtained.  Post-LASIK corneas exhibited distinct thickness, viscoelastic, and curvature pattern changes when compared to non-surgical corneas in response to induced swelling. Other biomechanical properties are unaffected by increased hydration in both groups. These results may have an impact as subjects grow older and may require ocular interventions and/or medications that impact corneal hydration status.  A book chapter was prepared and submitted based on the preliminary study, and an ARVO poster was presented this year on final results. Future directions include preparing several manuscripts for publication.

Benjamin D. Abramowitz, Ashraf M. Mahmoud, Cynthia J. Roberts, Amit Tandon, Deborah M. Grzybowski. “Swelling Analysis Of Thickness, Curvature, And Biomechanical Properties In The Post-LASIK Cornea.”  ARVO 2011, E-Abstract 5186.

Grzybowski DM, Rogers NA, Mahmoud AM, Roberts CJ.  Corneal Topographic Response to Swelling in Normal and post-LASIK Corneas, in Uzbek AK, Roberts CJ (eds).  Corneal Topography: from Theory to Practice, Amsterdam: Kugler Publications; in press.