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Walter J. Stark, MD; Michael L. Gilbert, MD; John D. Gottsch, MD
Baltimore, Md

Charles Munnerlyn, PhD
Sunnyvale, Calif

Arch Ophthalmol. 1990;108(1):12-13.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—The 193-nm excimer laser offers a potentially beneficial therapeutic technique for the precise removal of diseased or opaque anterior corneal lamellar tissue, leaving a smooth surface that provides for reepithelialization, a clear cornea, and an appropriate refractive surface. The therapeutic potential of the excimer laser in lamellar ablative keratectomy depends on an accurate means for measuring the depth of the anterior corneal disease. We have found the modified Haag-Streit optical pachometer¹ useful in the preoperative evaluation of patients considered for such laser treatment.

Since its introduction, the optical pachometer has been used for the determination of full corneal thickness by measuring the apparent thickness of an optical section of the cornea viewed from a fixed angle.¹ Using accurate alignment of the slit lamp and the microscope in relation to the corneal surface, one obtains typical precision values² of between 0.007 and 0.013 mm, with . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Drs Stark, Gilbert, and Gottsch have no proprietary, financial, or commercial interest in any device or equipment discussed. Dr Munnerlyn is Chief Executive Officer of VISX Inc, Sunnyvale, Calif.

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