Central Island FAQ
Please select your question from the following list of FAQs:
What is a Central Island?
A central island is a condition that can occur with both LASIK and PRK. Basically, the central portion of the cornea is insufficiently treated with the laser. The deeper tissue removal around the edge of the treatment zone results in an ablation pattern similar to a mountainous island in the center of a flat ocean. As you can imagine, if the goal of laser for myopia is to flatten the entire cornea, a central island is not the desired effect.
What is the cause of a Central Island?
The cause of central islands are varied and are still under investigation.
What is the treatment of a Central Island?
The initial treatment in many cases of central islands is observation, as the central island will often resolve on its own. However, there are some situations in which the surgeon will intervene early. If the surgeon chooses to wait and the central island has not completely resolved, then a custom enhancement procedure may improve the situation. With the availability of custom software (or wavefront-driven ablations), the treatment of central islands with the laser may become even more precise. As always, careful discussion with one’s surgeon is of primary importance. Updated July 2002