Comparison of clinical outcomes after femtosecond laser keratomileusis in eyes with low or high myopia.

AIM

To compare the clinical results of femtosecond (FS) laser keratomileusis (LASIK) in high myopic patients and low myopic patients.

METHODS

This study included 212 myopic eyes undergoing LASIK using a VisuMax 500kHz FS laser. All treated eyes were assigned to one of two groups according to preoperative manifest spherical refraction: low myopia group (A, >-4.0 D) and high myopia group (B, ≤-4.0 D). Uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA, CDVA), refractive errors, and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) were measured preoperatively and 1wk, 1, 3 and 6mo postoperatively.

RESULTS

At 6mo of follow-up, 92% and 76% had a UDVA of 20/20 or better in group A and B, respectively (=0.037) and UDVA was significantly different between two groups (=0.042). Six and seven percentage lost one line of CDVA in group A and B, respectively (=0.572) and no eyes in both groups lost more than two lines. Each group had 87% and 76% of treated eyes within ±0.5 D of the intended correction (=0.186), and 13% and 43% with a change of >0.50 D in spherical equivalent from 1wk to 6mo postoperatively (=0.005). In terms of postoperative astigmatism, each group had 89.1% and 76.6% within ±0.50 D, respectively and there was significant difference (=0.006). Group A tends to induce smaller HOAs than group B.

CONCLUSION

FS LASIK is effective and safe for correcting high myopia as well as low myopia. However, high myopic eyes showed more postoperative astigmatism and HOAs which affect visual acuity.