Optical and visual quality comparison of implantable Collamer lens and laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia using an adaptive optics visual simulator.

Purpose. To compare optical and visual quality of the implantable Collamer lens (ICL) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for myopia. Methods. An adaptive optics visual simulator (CRX1, Imagine Eyes, France) was used to simulate the vision after ICL implantation and LASIK procedure from the wavefront aberration pattern for -3 and -6 D. Monocular visual acuity (VA) at different contrasts and contrast sensitivity (CS) at 10, 20, and 25 cycles/degree (cpd) were measured for 3- and 5-mm pupils. Modulation transfer function (MTF) and point spread function (PSF) were calculated for a 5-mm pupil. Results. The ICL showed a MTF near of diffraction-limited MTF, but the post-LASIK of MTF worsened moving away from both curves. Statistically significant differences were found in VA between both procedures for all conditions (p<0.05). For -3 D ICL and LASIK, we did not find statistically significant differences in CS between the procedures for both pupils and any spatial frequencies (p>0.05). But for -6 D ICL and LASIK, the effect of aberrations became apparent, finding statistically significant differences in CS between both procedures for 2 pupils and all spatial frequencies evaluated (p<0.05). In all cases optical and visual quality was better with the ICL procedure. Conclusions. Both ICL and LASIK procedures provide good optical and visual quality, although the ICL provides better outcomes, especially for large refractive errors and pupil sizes. These outcomes are due to the LASIK procedure inducing higher higher-order aberrations than ICL implantation.