RESEARCH ARTICLE


Visual Outcomes and Higher Order Aberrations Following LASIK on Eyes with Low Myopia and Astigmatism



Smita Agarwal1, 2, Erin Thornell1, *, Chris Hodge3, Gerard Sutton4, Paul Hughes3
1 Wollongong Eye Specialists, 13 Market st, Wollongong, Australia
2 University of Wollongong, Northfields ave, Wollongong, Australia
3 Vision Eye Institute, 8-10 Woniora rd, Hurstville, Australia
4 University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia


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Creative Commons License
© 2018 Agarwal et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Wollongong Eye Specialists, 13 Market st, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia; Tel: +61 2 4227 6388; E-mail: emt910@uowmail.edu.au


Abstract

Background:

Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) can induce corneal aberrations that can impact vision and patient satisfaction. Recent developments in laser technologies have helped minimise these aberrations.

Objective:

To assess the quality of vision and change in Higher-Order Aberrations (HOAs) following wavefront-optimized LASIK in low-myopic astigmatic patients.

Methods:

LASIK was performed on a total of 76 eyes in patients with myopia <4.0 D and cylinder <2.0 D using the WaveLight® EX500 excimer and FS200 femtosecond laser platform. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and HOAs were measured at 1 and 3 months postoperatively and compared to preoperative values. Subjective quality of vision was assessed pre- and postoperatively using a VF14 questionnaire.

Results:

Mean postoperative Spherical Equivalent (SE) was -0.09 ± 0.26 µm with 95% of patients within ± 0.5 D of attempted SE. Postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 or better for 96% of patients. Contrast sensitivity increased against horizontal and vertical gratings at all spatial frequencies except for vertical gratings at 18 cycles/degree. Spherical aberration and total HOA increased by 0.085 µm and 0.13 µm respectively. The mean VF14 score increased from 89.2 ± 16.7% to 99 ± 1.4% postoperatively.

Conclusion:

LASIK performed using the WaveLight® EX500 excimer and WaveLight® FS200 laser platform provided improved contrast sensitivity and visual acuity with minimal introduction of HOAs, making it a suitable platform for low myopic astigmatic patients.

Keywords: LASIK, Aberrations, Contrast sensitivity, Vision quality, Myopia, Astigmatism.