This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Intrastromal femtosecond keratotomy shows promise for treating astigmatism
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
ORLANDO, Fla. — Intrastromal arcuate keratotomy performed with a femtosecond laser allows for precise incisions, quick recovery and strong vision improvement, a physician said here.
Previous studies of laser-assisted keratotomy all had incisions that penetrated the anterior cornea, Theresa Rueckl, MD, said at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study with purely intrastromal incisions on human eyes," she said.
The prospective, nonrandomized, single-center study involved 21 eyes of 21 patients treated with the IntraLase femtosecond laser (Abbott Medical Optics). Mean follow-up was 6 months.
At 1 day postop, there was a significant decrease in astigmatism, which remained stable throughout the follow-up period, Dr. Rueckl said. Patients reported a significant improvement in haze and clarity.
"A reduction of astigmatism could be achieved in all patients [in the study]," Dr. Rueckl said. "Patient satisfaction is very high."
- Disclosure: Dr. Rueckl has no relevant financial disclosures.