Abstract
Purpose:
This study assesses the long-term outcomes of astigmatic keratotomy (AK) performed with two different techniques in patients with post-penetrating keratoplasty (post-PK) residual astigmatism.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 11 eyes of 11 patients who underwent post-PK AK performed using either 30kHz femtosecond laser flap mode software (IntraLase/AMO, Irvine, CA) -Group 1- or using 150kHz femtosecond laser enabled AK software (IntraLase/AMO, Irvine, CA) -Group 2- to create two anterior arcuate corneal incisions. Preoperative and postoperative follow-up data, including uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalence (SE), average keratometry (avgK), and corneal cylinder (CC) were recorded and analyzed to determine visual outcomes and long-term results of these procedures. The student t-test was used to compare the two groups, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
No complications were seen using either technique. In Group 1 (n=5), the preoperative mean UCVA was 0.99LogMAR, mean BCVA was 0.48LogMAR, mean SE was -0.89 diopters (D), mean avgK was 45.45D, and mean CC was 10.82D. The postoperative mean UCVA was 0.48LogMAR, mean BCVA was 0.27LogMAR, mean SE was -1.53D, mean avgK was 46.67D, and mean CC was 5.48D. In Group 2 (n=6), the preoperative mean UCVA was 1.03LogMAR, mean BCVA was 0.52LogMAR, mean SE was -0.08D, mean avgK was 45.38D, and mean CC was 9.35D. The postoperative mean UCVA was 0.77LogMAR, mean BCVA was 0.15LogMAR, mean SE was -3.18D, mean avgK was 57.43D, and mean CC was 3.24D. In Group 1, the difference between preoperative and postoperative BCVA was not statistically significant (p=0.63). In Group 2, postoperative BCVA showed clinical improvement, even though the difference between preoperative and postoperative BCVA was not statistically significant (p=0.06).
Conclusions:
AK performed with both techniques are safe and efficient procedures to correct post-PK residual astigmatism.
Keywords: 678 refractive surgery •
428 astigmatism •
741 transplantation