Clinical Results of LASIK Enhancement

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess the results of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) enhancement by lifting the original flap and reablation for the treatment of myopic regression and undercorrection after initial LASIK. METHODS: We analyzed LASIK enhancement results in 19 patients (27 of 1026 eyes) which had myopic regression or undercorrection after initial LASIK. We evaluated the changes of refractive error, uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, corneal topography, and corneal thickness before and six months after enhancement. We also analyzed enhancement rate according to the original refractive error. RESULTS: Overall, the mean spherical equivalent (SE) was -7.10+/-1.78 diopters (D) before LASIK, -2.80+/-0.79D prior to enhancement and -0.31+/-0.46D at 6 months after enhancement (p<0.001). The uncorrected visual acuity at 6 months after enhancement was 1.0 or better in 10 eyes (37.0%) and 0.5 or better in 27 eyes (100%). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) did not change in 12 eyes (44.4%) and improved 1 line or more in 9 eyes (33.3%) at 6 months after enhancement. The final refractive error of one group which underwent enhancement within postoperative 3 month was closer to emmetropia than that of the other which had enhancement after postoperative 3 month, but there was no statistically significant difference (p=0.589). CONCLUSIONS: LASIK enhancement by using the original flap was an effective procedure, if the changes of refractive error were stable on refraction or corneal topography.