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Study: Patients retain normal reading function after LASIK and LASEK

ByJared Schultz

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LASIK and LASEK appear to have no adverse affects on such normal visual functions as reading under full illumination, according to a recent study.

In an evaluation of the preoperative and postoperative reading acuity and reading speed of patients who underwent the two procedures, researchers found no statistically significant differences between preop and postop reading performance.

“The present study shows that patients can expect to retain their normal visual function after refractive surgery with these two procedures under full-light conditions,” said study authors Sibylla Richter-Mueksch, MD, and colleagues.

The researchers, in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Vienna, evaluated 52 eyes of 34 patients to determine the influence of LASIK and LASEK on reading performance.

“For patients having refractive surgery, a standardized evaluation of the early postoperative reading ability has never been performed,” the authors said.

The patients’ best corrected distance visual acuity and reading ability were tested monocularly preop and 3 weeks postop.

The patients’ reading was tested with best distance correction at a distance of 30 cm under lighting ranging from 80 to 90 candelas/m². Reading speed in words per minute was calculated based on the number of words in a sentence and the time needed to read the sentence.

At the 3-week follow-up there were no statistically significant changes from the preoperative findings.

“In our standardized test setting with bright illumination, no depression of distance visual acuity or reading performance was found,” the authors said.

For Your Information:

• Sibylla Richter-Mueksch, MD, can be reached at Universitätsklinik für Augenheilkunde und Optometrie, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Austria; +43-1-40400-7900; e-mail: sibylla.richter-mueksch@meduniwien.ac.at.

Reference:

• Richter-Mueksch S, Kaminski S, et al. Influence of laser in situ keratomileusis and laser epithelial keratectomy on patients’ reading performance. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2005;31(8):1544-1548.

• Jared Schultz is an OSN Staff Writer who covers all aspects of ophthalmology. He focuses geographically on Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.