Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine the normal incidence and distribution of high order aberration root mean square (HOA RMS) in eyes undergoing LASIK that underwent wavefront aberrometry with either the Visx CustomVue or the Alcon LadarWave aberrometers.
Methods: :
Retrospective analysis of a clinical database of 3,568 consecutive eyes undergoing LASIK performed by a single surgeon. The VISX CustomVue aberrometer was used on 1,365 eyes and the LadarWave on 2,194 eyes.
Results: :
Preoperatively, 46.8% of eyes (1,670/3,568) had a HOA RMS of 0.3 µm or greater. Mean HOA RMS values were similar in each group (0.32 ± 0.14 um CustomVue compared to 0.33 ±0.27 µm LADARWave, P<.001). Postoperatively, mean HOA RMS was significantly greater in the LadarWave group (0.54 ±0.49 µm) than in the CustomVue group (0.39 ±0.19 µm) unrelated to pupil dimensions (P<0.001).
Conclusions: :
Previous reports have suggested that most eyes undergoing LASIK do not have a preoperative HOA RMS above 0.3 µm eliminating them from undergoing wavefront guided surgery because routine conventional laser vision correction provides equivalent outcomes for these HOAs. The findings of the present analysis dispute this suggestion.
Keywords: aberrations • refractive surgery • refractive surgery: LASIK