Table 1

Advantages and disadvantages of diamond burr superficial keratectomy

    Advantages:

  • Inexpensive

  • Requires little surgical skill

  • Requires no sophisticated equipment, such as lasers

  • Causes no permanent corneal scarring and can be used to treat visual axis

  • Possibly removes more abnormal basement membrane than debridement alone

  • Low recurrence rate of erosion after treatment

  • Re-treatments are simple

  • No chance of corneal perforation

  • Causes no significant refractive shift

  • Removes superficial corneal opacities, if any present

    Disadvantages:

  • Eye is often painful while epithelial defect is present

  • Chance of persistent epithelial defect (eg, in diabetic and neurotrophic corneas)