Changes in corneal aberrations and densitometry after diamond burr superficial keratectomy in post-traumatic recurrent corneal erosion: A retrospective observational study

Recurrent corneal erosion (RCE) is a painful condition characterized by repeated breakdown of the corneal epithelium, often requiring interventions like diamond burr superficial keratectomy (DBSK) to promote healing. While DBSK is an effective treatment, its impact on corneal optical properties remains insufficiently studied. This study aims to assess changes in corneal aberrations and densitometry after DBSK in RCE patients. This retrospective case-control study enrolled patients with unilateral RCE treated with DBSK between January 2022 and September 2023 were reviewed. The fellow eye served as an internal control. Corneal low- and high-order aberrations (LOAs and HOAs) and densitometry were analyzed preoperatively, early postoperatively (≤2 weeks), and late postoperatively (2 weeks–3 months). Statistical analyses included paired t-tests and ANOVA. Ten eyes from ten patients (mean age: 32.4 years) were analyzed. Preoperatively, study eyes had higher LOAs ( P = .047) but similar HOAs and densitometry compared to fellow eyes. Following DBSK, LOAs and HOAs were significantly reduced in the early and late postoperative period, separately. Among the individual components of LOAs and HOAs, defocus showed a significant reduction in the early postoperative phase. Anterior densitometry increased transiently but returned to baseline level by 3 months. DBSK improves corneal regularity by reducing aberrations while inducing only transient haze. These findings support its efficacy and safety for RCE management.