Custom-Q PRK compares favorably with wavefront-guided customized PRK

Eur J Ophthalmol. 2009;19(4):544-553.

Q-factor customized PRK and wavefront-guided customized PRK had similar safety and efficacy results in myopic eyes with astigmatism, a study showed.

"Regarding safety and refractive efficacy, custom-Q ablation profiles were clinically equivalent to wavefront-guided profiles in corrections of myopia up to –6 D and astigmatism up to 2.5 D," the study authors said.

The prospective, controlled study included 56 patients. One eye of each patient underwent Q-factor customized PRK or wavefront-guided customized PRK. Investigators assessed manifest refraction, contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, aberrometry and corneal asphericity preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively.

In the wavefront-guided PRK group, uncorrected visual acuity improved to 20/20 or better in 34 eyes (60.7%) and 20/25 or better in 56 eyes (100%). In the custom-Q PRK group, UCVA improved to 20/20 or better in 36 eyes (64.2%) and 20/25 or better in 54 eyes (96.4%). All eyes in both groups had UCVA of 20/40 or better.

Fifty-four eyes in the wavefront group (96.4%) and 56 eyes in the custom-Q group (100%) had spherical equivalent within 0.5 D of targeted refraction. One eye in each group lost two or more lines of best corrected visual acuity.