Abstract
Purpose:
To assess visual performance when identifying targets of military interest after WFG and WFO photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and LASIK.
Methods:
In this prospective randomized study, 53 military service members aged 29.9±5.5 years with myopia or myopic astigmatism (mean manifest spherical equivalent -3.78±1.42 diopters) electing to undergo either PRK or LASIK were randomized to receive either WFG (VISX CustomVue STAR S4 IR) or WFO (Wavelight Allegretto Wave EyeQ) treatment. Performance on military tasks was determined preoperatively with correction as well as 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively without correction. In separate computer-based experiments, participants were asked to 1) identify static combat vehicle targets and 2) identify dynamic combatants and noncombants targets. Change in probability of identification (PID) was compared among the treatment groups using repeated measures analysis of variance. A P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
In identifying static combat vehicle targets, there was no significant difference in PID between WFG versus WFO groups (P=0.41) as well as between PRK versus LASIK groups (P=0.14). In identifying dynamic combatants/noncombatant targets, there was also no significant difference in PID between WFG versus WFO groups (P=0.82) and between PRK versus LASIK groups (P=0.41). The change in PID of static and dynamic targets over time was not statistically significant overall among the 4 treatment groups (WFG PRK, WFG LASIK, WFO PRK and WFO LASIK; P=0.68 and P=0.72, respectively).
Conclusions:
Treatment using WFG or WFO in either PRK or LASIK may offer comparable benefits to myopic military service members in terms of visual performance such as identifying military relevant static and dynamic targets.