Comparison in Pain between Photorefractive Keratectomy and Laser In Situ Epithelial Keratomileusis during Intraoperative and Postoperative Period

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the degree of pain between photorefractive keratectomy(PRK) and laser in situ epithelial keratomileusis(LASEK) during intraoperative and postoperative period, we used the visual pain analogue scale. METHODS: Forty patients requiring refractive surgery of both eyes were randomized into 2 groups and were studied by double-blind clinical trial prospectively. Each patient had PRK performed on one eye and LASEK on the other on the same day. On half of the patients PRK was performed before LASEK. The other half had LASEK first and then PRK. All surgeries were performed by one surgeon and subjective pain was assessed using analog scale of no pain(0) to worst pain imaginable(10) during the operation, post operatively, and on the first, second, sixth postoperative day. RESULTS: There were no significant carry-over effects in all 5 comparisons(p>0.30) between the two groups of different operation order. There was less discomfort in the PRK group compared with the LASEK group on all days of measurement. The pain felt by the patients was significantly less in the PRK group on the first(mean 3.29 versus 5.46, p<0.0001) and the second(mean 1.39 versus 3.61, p<0.0001) postoperative day. The sum of pain in all measuring days were also significantly less(mean 10.39 versus 16.29, p<0.0001) in the PRK group. CONCLUSION: We concluded that PRK is a more comfortable refractive surgery than LASEK in the aspect of pain.