The Efficacy and Safety of Dream Lens(TM) in School Children

PURPOSE: This project was designed to study the effectiveness and safety of Dream lens(TM) (OK B+ series lenses, Contex, USA) in correcting myopia in a population of school children, under 13 years old. METHODS: Twenty-three school children aged 7 to 13 years followed over a 3-month period were fitted with lenses in the Vision Eye Center from September 2002 to March 2003. Slit lamp examination, uncorrected visual acuity, autorefraction and autokeratometry by Canon RK-5 and topography were measured at baseline and at 1week, 1 month, and 3 months after the lenses were worn. RESULTS: The mean baseline autorefraction was -2.54 +/- 1.00 diopters (range: -0.63~-4.00) and baseline uncorrected visual acuity over 0.5 was 11.1% and over 0.8 was 0%. Vision correction of over 0.8 was found in 80% of the cases in the first 1 week, 78% at 1 month, 91% at 3 months with the most rapid improvement occurring during the first 1 week. Superficial punctate keratitis occurred in 4 of 45 eyes, but there was no other pathologic problem. CONCLUSIONS: Dream lens is an effective and safe means of temporarily reducing myopia in a certain range of myopic patients; however, further studies are needed to determine the long-term effects on the eye health.

Refraction before and after LASIK

PURPOSE: It is important to know the accurate refractive error of the patients before LASIK because the amount of ablation is determined by that. We analyzed whether there are differences among the preoperative and postoperative results of cycloplegic retinoscopy (CR), module setting value, and autorefraction with and without cycloplegia (ACR, AMR). METHODS: The manifest and cycloplegic refractions of 104 eyes of 104 patients who underwent LASIK from February 2001 to July 2001 were reviewed. The preoperative and postoperative cycloplegic refraction, autorefraction by Canon RK-5, and module setting value were analyzed. RESULTS: In comparison of the preoperative values, AMR showed myopic shift compared to CR, module setting, and ACR (p<.001). ACR showed hyperopic shift compared to CR (p<0.001). The module setting showed myopic shift compared to CR, but it was not statistically significant. Postoperative mean spherical equivalent was 0.04 +/- 0.67D(range: -1.75 ~ +1.5). In comparison of the postoperative results, ACR showed hyperopic shift compared to CR (p<0.001) and AMR showed myopic shift compared to CR (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As there is a difference between autorefraction and cycloplegic refraction, it is inappropriate to decide the amount of ablation only by one method. Hence when LASIK or LASIK retreatment is planned, cycloplegic refraction as well as autorefraction is necessary.