LASIK, LASEK have similar HOA rates in scotopic conditions

Wavefront-guided LASIK and LASEK showed no difference in higher-order aberrations in the scotopic condition at 3 months postoperative, according to a study.

Kyoung Yul Seo, MD, PhD, and colleagues compared the higher-order aberrations in 70 eyes of 38 Korean patients who had undergone wavefront-guided LASIK for the treatment of myopia with 70 eyes of 40 Korean patients who had undergone wavefront-guided LASEK for the treatment of myopia. The patient made the choice about which procedure the eye underwent. Follow-up was 6 months. The main outcome measures included best corrected visual acuity, uncorrected visual acuity, manifest refraction and wavefront aberrations. Outcomes were measured at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively, according to the study.

No significant differences were found in postop BCVA, UCVA or manifest refraction between the LASIK and LASEK groups. The wavefront error of higher-order aberrations for a scotopic pupil in the LASIK group was significantly smaller than in the LASEK group at the 1-month follow-up, the report said. Spherical aberration and second coma were significantly smaller in the LASIK group than in the LASEK group at 1 month. The differences disappeared, however, by 6 months.

The study is published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.