Comparison of Wavefront Guided Customized Ablation vs. Conventional Ablation

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the visual outcome and satisfaction rate after the wavefront guided ablation with the conventional ablation in laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) patients. METHODS: We performed a prospective study that included 182 eyes of 91 patients who were treated with LASIK (60 eyes) or PRK (122 eyes) using MEL 70 excimer laser system (Carl-Zeiss Meditec, Germany). We applied wavefront guided ablation on the right eye of each patient. The conventional ablation (control group) was performed on the left eye of the same patient. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent refraction, high order aberrations and contrast sensitivity were evaluated preoperatively and after surgery. Satisfaction rate was evaluated after surgery. RESULTS: We found statistically insignificant improvement of BCVA in wavefront guided ablation group. There were no statistically significant differences in contrast sensitivity between wavefront guided ablation and conventional ablation. In LASIK group, we found statistically significant differences of high order aberrations; RMS HO (High order)(p<0.05) and in PRK group; Z (3, -1), Z (3, 3), Z (4, 0), Z (4, 2), RMS HO (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between wavefront guided ablation and conventional ablation in patient's satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: High order aberrations of wavefront guided ablation were less increased than of conventional ablation. These results indicate the potential role of the wavefront guided ablation in the field of refractive surgery.