Safety of an artificial iris in a phakic eye.

This case report describes the one-year results of the implantation of a sectorial and foldable artificial iris in a phakic eye. To our knowledge, this is the first such report with a follow-up of 1 year. No perioperative or postoperative complications were seen. Corrected distance visual acuity remained unchanged (left eye, 1.5/10), the subjective complaints of glare and photophobia improved considerably, and the patient was very satisfied with the aesthetic result.

Backscattered light from the cornea before and after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy for myopia.

PURPOSE: To study corneal backscatter changes after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) and to search for correlations between the changes in forward and backward corneal light scatter. SETTING: Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium. DESIGN: Prospective interventional case series. METHOD: Corneal backscatter was determined with a commercial Scheimpflug device and purpose-written image-analysis software. The mean backscatter profile and gray value distributions of the images for a 1.0 mm zone around the corneal apex were obtained preoperatively and 6 months after LASEK for myopia. This was compared with forward light scatter (or straylight) using measurements obtained with the compensation comparison method. RESULTS: The study enrolled 80 eyes (40 patients; mean age 34.2 years ± 10.4 [SD]). Very strong correlations were found between the backscatter profiles of right eyes and left eyes preoperatively. Hence, only right eyes were used for further calculations. The epithelial-Bowman peak of the backscatter profile decreased significantly after LASEK (mean decrease -2.2 ± 4.7 grayscale units) (P=.002, paired t test), which corresponded to the ablation of Bowman layer. Significant changes in the gray-value distribution were observed postoperatively, corresponding to the decreases in the epithelium-Bowman peak. Forward light scatter decreased significantly after LASEK (mean decrease -0.10 ± 0.13) (P<.001); however, no significant correlation with corneal backscatter was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The anterior part of the corneal backscatter profile decreased significantly after LASEK. A significant reduction in forward light scatter was also seen, although it was not correlated to backward light scatter.

Straylight before and after LASEK in myopia: changes in retinal straylight.

PURPOSE: To quantify the changes in retinal straylight that occur after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK). METHODS: This prospective study included 86 eyes of 49 patients who were scheduled for LASEK surgery. Patients were divided into groups based on their preoperative contact lens wear habits: rigid lenses (RCL), soft lenses (SCL), spectacles after a period of contact lenses (SaC), and spectacles only (Specs). Retinal straylight was tested before surgery and 6 months after surgery with the compensation comparison method. Straylight was also compared to a normal reference database. The difference with the average straylight increase with age, called base- and age-corrected (BAC) straylight, was also studied. RESULTS: Before surgery, BAC straylight was found to be strongly elevated, with a value of 0.15 +/- 0.14 log units. After LASEK, this decreased to 0.00 +/- 0.14 log units. The reduction was significant (paired t-test, P << 0.01) and correlated with preoperative BAC straylight levels (r(2) = 0.332; P << 0.01). There was no correlation between the straylight change and the spherical equivalent of the laser refractive correction (r(2) = 0.042; P = 0.059). Preoperative wear of soft contact lenses increased the BAC straylight by approximately 0.06 log units, with respect to the spectacles groups (P < 0.05, unpaired t-test), but after surgery, this difference was no longer found (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher than normal preoperative BAC straylight was found to normalize after LASEK refractive surgery. Wearing soft contact lenses causes an additional increase in preoperative BAC straylight that is eliminated after LASEK.