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Combining LTK with wavefront yields greater precision, surgeon says
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The introduction of a wavefront aberrometer during low energy thermal keratoplasty may allow “refined outcomes and intraoperative monitoring,” Ronald Krueger, MD, told attendees at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting here.
To date, laser thermal keratoplasty (LTK) procedures have been limited by initial overcorrection followed by regression, and by a tendency to cause astigmatism, Dr. Krueger said.
By using a significantly lower energy output (144 mJ) on the Sunrise Hyperion LTK system and linking the device to a wavefront analyzer, Dr. Krueger said, he and colleagues were able to achieve results that were within 0.5 D of target refraction.
Dr. Krueger described a study in which 20 patients underwent LTK with the simultaneous use of an intraoperative real-time wavefront analyzer. The analyzer provides 5 Hz to 10 Hz real-time data, allowing surgeons to adjust treatment parameters during the procedure, Dr. Krueger said.
At 1 day follow-up, patients achieved a mean visual acuity of 20/35, which marked an improvement from 20/100 preoperatively, he said.
Dr. Krueger also described future potential applications for the real-time wavefront analyzer. In particular, surgeons might ultimately use its automatic shutoff option to stop treatment at a specified endpoint or to selectively treat specific aberrations, he noted.