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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Surv Ophthalmol. 2014 Jan 23;59(3):263–285. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2013.09.002

Table 3.

Subbasal nerves after refractive surgery

Type of refractive surgery Percent recovery of subbasal density from baseline Recovery time of corneal sensitivity (mean from available studies)
6 months 1 year >3 years
LASIK 33.6%38,54,122 43.8%38,63 58.6%38,63 5.5 months25,34,44,54,114,150,166,167,168,181
LASEK 57.6%54,122 Data not available Data not available 3.6 months 54,90,122,228
PRK 25.3% 62 40.5% 62,63 100%* 62,63 2.3 months 34,62,114,142,168,181

LASIK = laser in situ keratomileusis; LASEK = laser sub-epithelial keratomileusis; PRK = photorefractive keratectomy.

*

Typically observed at “no significant difference” with pre-PRK subbasal nerve density.