Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the refractive results and contrast sensitivity after an incomplete flap in patients who underwent LASIK.
Methods: :
This is a case-control ambispective study where we included 9 adult patients from Fundacion Hospital Nuestra Senora de la Luz, who had a binocular LASIK procedure from January 2004 to August 2008 and underwent an incomplete flap in a single eye which was reoperated after one month. We compared the results between the eye with incomplete flap versus the contralateral eye with a normal procedure. Refractive (spherical equivalent), topographic (axial and elevation, irregularity at 3 and 5 mm and pachymetry), contrast sensitivity (sine wave contrast test) and aberrometric parameters (total aberration, spherical aberration, coma, trefoil) were taken postoperative during a mean follow up period of 14 months (range 1 to 56).
Results: :
The mean age of the patients was 33 years old (range 25 to 52). The final uncorrected visual acuity for all the eyes including those who had an incomplete flap was 20/25 (Snellen) or better. All of the eyes with an incomplete cut had worse sensitivity contrast test results in most spatial frequencies compared with the controls. The mean postoperative spherical equivalent of the cases was -1.23 D and was higher than controls (-0.73 D). Both topographic irregularity index and spherical aberration were greater in eyes with an incomplete flap.
Conclusions: :
All patients with an incomplete flap reached a good final uncorrected visual acuity. Visual quality reflected in contrast sensitivity and high order aberrations were worse than expected.
Keywords: cornea: clinical science • refractive surgery: LASIK • refractive surgery: complications