A new large-scale study of laser vision correction procedures performed at Optical Express, a chain of eye surgery centers in Europe and the United States, shows most patients prefer all-laser, wavefront-guided LASIK and that the procedure is safe and effective.
Study design and methods
Steven C. Schallhorn, MD, global medical director for Optical Express, and colleagues reviewed the records of 49,011 eyes of 24,505 consecutive patients who recently had laser vision correction at Optical Express. The company is Europe’s largest provider of LASIK surgery and has over 200 locations.
All patients had laser vision correction treatments performed with the STAR S4IR excimer laser system (Abbott Medical Optics, Santa Ana, Calif.). Corneal flaps were created with either an IntraLase FS-60 femtosecond laser (Abott Medical Optics) or a Moria single-use microkeratome (Moria, Antony, France).
Refractive errors prior to surgery ranged from -12.00 D of nearsightedness to +6.00 D of farsightedness, with a mean astigmatism correction of -0.76 D. The mean amounts of myopia and hyperopia prior to surgery were -2.97 D and +2.34 D, respectively.
Results and conclusions
Analysis of the study data revealed:
- 91 percent of patients undergoing laser vision correction were treated with LASIK; nine percent were treated with LASEK.
- Most patients (80 percent) chose wavefront-guided LASIK over conventional LASIK.
- 70 percent chose all-laser LASIK, with the corneal flap created with a femtosecond laser rather than a bladed microkeratome.
- One month after surgery, the mean spherical equivalent (MSE) refraction of all patients was -0.08 D, and 85 percent of eyes were within 0.50 D of their intended correction.
- One month after surgery, 86 percent of eyes treated for myopia and 61 percent of eyes treated for hyperopia attained uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) of 20/20 or better.
- Among patients who had laser vision correction (LASIK or LASEK) performed on both eyes, 93 percent achieved binocular UCVA of 20/20 or better.
- The overall rate of LASIK complications was very low (0.8 percent), and most complications (dry eye, keratitis, transient light sensitivity, etc.) were successfully treated without long-term adverse effects.
- Flap complications were rare, and there were fewer flap problems among patients who had all-laser LASIK with the corneal flap created with a femtosecond laser.
Dr. Schallhorn noted that the patients’ preference for all-laser LASIK shows the public’s acceptance of this advanced technology despite its higher cost. He also said the results of the study suggest femtosecond lasers have a safety advantage over bladed microkeratomes when creating LASIK flaps.
SOURCE: Large-scale study validates positive LASIK results. EyeWorld. May 2009. (Supplement: Premium Clinical Options for Cataract and Refractive Surgery, sponsored by Abbott Medical Optics.)