Abstract
Purpose::
To evaluate the efficacy, predictability, and safety of laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism in eyes with mild abnormalities in preoperative corneal topography characterized as having either posterior elevation >40µm, inferior or superior steepening, or astigmatic skewed radial axis of deviation.
Methods::
This retrospective analysis comprised 33 eyes that had custom LASEK for myopia using the 100Hz Bausch & Lomb Technolas® 217C excimer laser. Primary outcome variables including uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refraction, and complications were evaluated at 1 and 3 months. Preoperative higher order aberrations measured by Zywave Root Mean Squared (RMS) were evaluated.
Results::
The mean spherical equivalent was -4.09 Diopters (D) ± 1.72 preoperatively, +0.02 ± 0.55 D at 1 month, and +0.04 ± 0.66 D at 3 months. Mean preoperative RMS values were 0.35 µm ± 0.12 at the 5mm and 0.61 µm ± 0.23 at the 6mm zone. At 1 and 3 months, the UCVA was 20/20 or better in 73% and 74% of eyes, respectively, and 20/40 or better in 97% and 96%; 76% and 85% were within ± 0.5 D of emmetropia, and 97% and 96%, respectively were within ± 1.0 D. No eye lost more than 2 lines of BSCVA. At 1 and 3 months, no eyes had any corneal haze or topographical evidence of ectasia.
Conclusions::
Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy with the Technolas 217C was an effective, predictable, and safe procedure for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism in patients with mild abnormalities in corneal topography. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term stability of these results.
Keywords: refractive surgery: other technologies • refractive surgery: corneal topography • refractive surgery