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LASIK Ablation Centration: An Objective Digitized Assessment and Comparison Between Two Generations of an Excimer Laser

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Purpose To objectively define the effective centration of myopic femtosecond- laser assisted LASIK ablation pattern, evaluate the difference between achieved vs. planned excimer laser ablation centration, and compare these results from two different generations of an excimer laser system. Methods The study employed 280 eyes subjected to myopic LASIK. Digital image analysis was performed on Scheimpflug sagittal curvature maps (pre-operative, postoperative, and their difference). Centration was assessed via digital proprietary software analysis of the coordinate displacement between the achieved ablation geometric center and the planned ablation center, which was the corneal vertex. Results from two different excimer laser generations (Group-A, EyeQ 400 and Group-B, EX500), both platforms of Alcon/WaveLight were compared. Results Average radial displacement in group-A was on average 360±220 μm (range 0 to 1,030 μm), while in group-B 120±110 μm (range 0 to 580 μm). When comparing percentage of eyes with displacement more than 300 μm, in group-A the corresponding % was 52%, while in group-B, 4%, respectively. Conclusions Displacement of ablation pattern may depend on the laser platform. The dramatic improvement in the efficiency of centration indicates that newer generation excimer laser with faster eye tracking and active centration control appear to achieve a significantly more accurate centration of myopic ablation patterns. We propose this novel, objective technique for laser refractive surgeon evaluation that may point out significant outcome measures not currently used in standard metrics of refractive laser efficiency.
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... One of the most important factors influencing postoperative visual quality is the angle kappa, formed by the pupil axis and visual axis [3][4][5]. The angle kappa is an important parameter for characterizing the intersection angle of the visual and pupillary axes, which is difficult to measure directly. ...
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Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple higher-order aberrations (HOAs) subgroups and pupil offset, as well as to analyze the factors affecting postoperative corneal HOAs in patients with different degrees of refractive errors. Methods: We enrolled 160 patients (316 eyes) aged ≥ 18 years who had undergone femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) treatment. Based on the relationship between the preoperative pupil offset and the postoperative ΔHOAs, all patients were divided into two groups: group I (pupil offset ≤ 0.20 mm) and group II (pupil offset > 0.20 mm). All of the eyes had low to high myopia with or without astigmatism (manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) < -10.00 D). Uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, MRSE, pupil offset, central corneal thickness, corneal HOAs, vertical coma (Z3-1), horizontal coma (Z31), spherical aberration (Z40), trefoil 0° (Z33), and trefoil 30° (Z3-3) over a 6 mm diameter central corneal zone diameter were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. Results: Our result revealed significant differences in postoperative corneal total root mean square (RMS) HOAs, RMS vertical coma, RMS horizontal coma, RMS spherical aberration, and RMS trefoil 30° between group I and group II. ΔMRSE was found to be an effective factor for ΔRMS HOAs (R2 = 0.383), ΔRMS horizontal coma (R2 = 0.205), and ΔRMS spherical aberration (R2 = 0.397). In group II, multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between preoperative pupillary offset and Δtotal RMS HOAs (R2 = 0.461), ΔRMS horizontal coma (R2 = 0.040), and ΔRMS trefoil 30°(R2 = 0.089). The ΔRMS vertical coma effect factor is the Y-component, and the factor influencing ΔRMS spherical aberration was ΔMRSE (R2 = 0.256). Conclusion: A small pupil offset was associated with a lower induction of postoperative corneal HOAs. Efforts to optimize centration are critical for improving surgical outcomes in patients with FS-LASIK.
... One of the most important factors in uencing postoperative visual quality is the angle kappa, formed by the pupil axis and visual axis (3)(4)(5). The angle kappa is an important parameter for characterizing the intersection angle of the visual and pupillary axes, which is di cult to measure directly. ...
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Background This study aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple higher-order aberrations (HOAs) subgroups and pupil offset, as well as to analyze the factors affecting postoperative corneal HOAs in patients with different degrees of refractive errors. Methods We enrolled 160 patients (316 eyes) aged ≥ 18 years who had undergone femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) treatment. Based on the relationship between the preoperative pupil offset and the postoperative ΔHOAs, all patients were divided into two groups: group I (pupil offset ≤ 0.20 mm) and group II (pupil offset > 0.20 mm). All of the eyes had low to high myopia with or without astigmatism (manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) < -10.00 D). Uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, MRSE, pupil offset, central corneal thickness, corneal HOAs, vertical coma (Z3 − 1), horizontal coma (Z3¹), spherical aberration (Z4⁰), trefoil 0° (Z3³), and trefoil 30° (Z3 − 3) over a 6 mm diameter central corneal zone diameter were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. Results Our result revealed significant differences in postoperative corneal total root mean square (RMS) HOAs, RMS vertical coma, RMS horizontal coma, RMS spherical aberration, and RMS trefoil 30° between group I and group Ⅱ. ΔMRSE was found to be an effective factor for ΔRMS HOAs (R² = 0.383), ΔRMS horizontal coma (R² = 0.205), and ΔRMS spherical aberration (R² = 0.397). In group II, multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between preoperative pupillary offset and Δtotal RMS HOAs (R² = 0.461), ΔRMS horizontal coma (R² = 0.040), and ΔRMS trefoil 30°(R² = 0.089). The ΔRMS vertical coma effect factor is the Y-component, and the factor influencing ΔRMS spherical aberration was ΔMRSE (R² = 0.256). Conclusion A small pupil offset was associated with a lower induction of postoperative corneal HOAs. Efforts to optimize centration are critical for improving surgical outcomes in patients with FS-LASIK.
... 6,7 With the increase in HOAs, there are a series of complications related to postoperative visual qualities, such as poor night vision, glare, monocular diplopia, and astigmatism. 1,8,9 Thus, it is essential to study the distribution of pupil offset in the myopic population to improve postoperative visual quality. ...
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of pupil offset in young Asian adults with myopia. Methods: In total, 1200 eyes (600 young adults, 18-35 years old) were divided into mild-moderate and high groups according to equivalent spherical diopters (SEQ). The pupil offset and its X and Y components were compared between the groups. Linear correlation was analyzed among pupil offset, X and Y components, and SEQ. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted for pupil offset and eye parameters. Results: The mean age of all subjects was 22.5 ± 4.8 years. The mean magnitude of the pupil offset (0.18 ± 0.09 mm vs. 0.15 ± 0.08 mm) and Y component (0.12 ± 0.08 mm vs. 0.10 ± 0.07 mm) were larger in the high group than in the mild-moderate group (P < 0.05). The magnitude of pupil offset, X and Y components, and SEQ were positively correlated. The pupil center (PC) of the right eye in the mild-moderate group was mainly superotemporal to the corneal vertex and mainly superonasal for the left eye and both eyes in the high group. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the magnitude of pupil offset correlated with central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, and mean corneal curvature (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The magnitude of the pupil offset that correlated with partial eye parameters and its X and Y components increased as the SEQ increased, and the PC gradually shifted toward the superonasal direction in young Asian adults with myopia. Translational relevance: Subjects with high myopia with a larger pupil offset should be considered for better postoperative visual quality during refractive surgery.
... eoretically, when 100% angle kappa is compensated, the ablation centration is closer to the visual axis, but we found that there was still a gap between the actual and expected visual quality. It is speculated that factors such as dynamic changes in the pupil center position caused by lighting, emotional tension, surgical stimulation, and adjustment of radial convergence during the operation were involved, which further confirm the importance of the accurate positioning of the ablation centration point [19] and the necessity of reasonable compensating for the percentage under different angle kappa states [20]. ...
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Purpose: To analyze the distribution of the offset between the pupil center and the coaxially sighted corneal light reflex (P-Dist), the effects of 50% and 100% angle kappa adjustments on refractive and visual quality in patients with moderate myopia were investigated. Methods: A randomly selected 254 patients (254 eyes) with moderate myopia who underwent femtosecond laser-combined LASIK were examined. During the operation, the P-Dist of the patients was recorded by the x- and y-axis eyeball-tracking adjustment program of the WaveLight Eagle Vision EX500 excimer laser system. Preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively, the WaveLight® ALLEGRO Topolyzer was used to measure the pupil size and center position, and the wavefront sensor was used to measure the wavefront aberrations. The visual function tester (OPTEC 6500) measured contrast sensitivity. Results: The average P-Dist was 0.220 ± 0.102 mm. When the P-Dist >0.220 mm, the postoperative residual cylinder was 0.29 ± 0.34 D in the group with the 50% adjustment and 0.40 ± 0.32 D in the 100% group, which was significantly higher than the 50% group (P=0.036). The coma was 0.21 ± 0.17 μm in the 50% adjusted group and 0.34 ± 0.25 μm in the 100% group, which was significantly higher than that in the 50% group (P=0.021). At the 1.5 c/d spatial frequency, contrast sensitivity in the adjusted 100% group was significantly lower than that in the 50% group under visual glare conditions (P=0.039). Conclusion: The postoperative visual acuity and spherical equivalent were not affected in the two groups. However, when P-Dist >0.220 mm, the residual astigmatism and coma were lower in the 50% group. Individualized operations for those with moderate myopia and large-angle kappa in which 100% adjustment is chosen may not result in a better visual quality effect than 50%.
... Instead of peripheral ASP, a series of small (3-4 mm diameter) PTK spots can be performed peripherally [24]. The excimer laser system usually has an automatic eye tracker system that improves surgical precision [25,26] and ensures that the eye maintains the correct position. However, the eye tracker function should not be used when performing a peripheral PTK procedure; it should be manually operated instead. ...
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Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of the combined phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) and peripheral anterior stromal puncture (ASP) compared with that of PTK alone in patients with recurrent corneal erosion syndrome (RCES). Methods: The medical records of 25 patients (25 eyes) who underwent combined treatment of PTK and peripheral ASP for RCES from March 2016 to May 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-three patients (23 eyes) treated with PTK alone from March 2015 to February 2016 served as a control group. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon. This retrospective clinical study comprised 48 patients (48 eyes) who were followed up for more than 18 months. Clinical records of age, sex, laterality, etiology of RCES, and history of recurrence after treatment were evaluated. Results: Twenty-five eyes were treated with combined PTK and ASP, and 23 eyes were treated with PTK only. The mean follow-up period was 19.63 ± 2.97 and 19.75 ± 6.83 months, respectively. There were no differences in baseline parameters between the groups. In the combined treatment group, one patient experienced recurrence 6 months after the surgery. In the single treatment group, five patients showed recurrence at 4, 7, 8, 11, and 13 months after the surgery, respectively. Compared to the single treatment group, the combined treatment group showed significantly lower recurrence rate (p < 0.05). All recurred patients required no additional treatment except temporary therapeutic contact lenses and topical lubricants. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that combined treatment of PTK and peripheral ASP is effective in alleviation of symptoms and prevention of recurrence in refractory RCES compared with treatment using PTK alone.
... 11 This Refractive Suite applies ethernet networking, allowing diagnostic data import from networked screening devices into the laser planning software, including topography data from Allegro Placido Topolyzer-Vario and topometric data from Allegro Scheimpflug Oculyzer ІІ. 12 Multiple studies reported the application of DovePress topography-guided treatment with such platforms, whether in normal or irregular corneas. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] The Oculyzer presents a Scheimpflug rotating camera, with a 360 degrees rotating light beam, scanning the cornea with a high density of points from the corneal centre. Therefore, it should be the first choice when planning laser treatment in corneas with central irregularities or aberrations. ...
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Background The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate cylinder axis agreement between manifest refraction (MR), cycloplegic refraction (CR), Allegro Oculyzer ІІ and Allegro Topolyzer-Vario. Methods We included 82 patients (32 males and 50 females, 28.1 ± 8.7 years old), with 156 eyes scheduled for wavefront optimized laser refractive surgery, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in 50 eyes and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in 106 eyes, for correction of simple, myopic, hyperopic or mixed astigmatism. Cylinder axis was determined under manifest and cycloplegic refractions and using Allegro Occulyzer ІІ and Allegro Topolyzer-Vario platforms. Cylinder axis agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient, Pearson correlation coefficient and by the method described by Bland and Altman. Results Intraclass correlation coefficient and Pearson correlation coefficient showed statistically significant cylinder axis agreement between manifest refraction, cycloplegic refraction, Allegro Oculyzer ІІ and Allegro Topolyzer-Vario (p <0.001). Despite statistically significant cylinder axis agreement between the four measuring tools, 4 of 156 eyes (2.5%) showed unexpected discrepancy between Allegro Oculyzer ІІ and Allegro Topolyzer-Vario cylinder axis. Conclusion Although cylinder axis shows statistically significant agreement between manifest refraction, cycloplegic refraction, Allegro Oculyzer ІІ and Allegro Topolyzer-Vario, unexpected discrepancies occur.
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Purpose To investigate the differences between dominant and nondominant eyes in a predominantly young patient population by analyzing the angle kappa, pupil size, and center position in dominant and nondominant eyes. Methods A total of 126 young college students (252 eyes) with myopia who underwent femtosecond laser-combined LASIK were randomly selected. Ocular dominance was determined using the hole-in-card test. The WaveLight Allegro Topolyzer (WaveLight Laser Technologies AG, Erlangen, Germany) was used to measure the pupil size and center position. The offset between the pupil center and the coaxially sighted corneal light reflex (P-Dist) of the patients was recorded by the x- and y-axis eyeball tracking adjustment program of the WaveLight Eagle Vision EX500 excimer laser system (Wavelight GmbH). The patientʼs vision (uncorrected distance visual acuity [UDVA], best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and refractive power (spherical equivalent, SE) were observed preoperatively, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks postoperatively, and a quality of vision (QoV) questionnaire was completed. Results Ocular dominance occurred predominantly in the right eye [right vs. left: (178) 70.63% vs. (74) 29.37%; p < 0.001]. The P-Dist was 0.202 ± 0.095 mm in the dominant eye and 0.215 ± 0.103 mm in the nondominant eye (p = 0.021). The horizontal pupil shift was − 0.07 ± 0.14 mm in dominant eyes and 0.01 ± 0.13 mm in nondominant eyes (p = 0.001) (the temporal displacement of the dominant eye under mesopic conditions). The SE was negatively correlated with the P-Dist (r = − 0.223, p = 0.012 for the dominant eye and r = − 0.199, p = 0.025 for the nondominant eye). At 12 weeks postoperatively, the safety index (postoperative BDVA/preoperative BDVA) of the dominant and nondominant eyes was 1.20 (1.00, 1.22) and 1.20 (1.00, 1.20), respectively, and the efficacy index (postoperative UDVA/preoperative BDVA) was 1.00 (1.00, 1.20) and 1.00 (1.00, 1.20), respectively; the proportion of residual SE within ± 0.50 D was 98 and 100%, respectively. Conclusions This study found that ocular dominance occurred predominantly in the right eye. The pupil size change was larger in the dominant eye. The angle kappa of the dominant eye was smaller than that of the nondominant eye and the pupil center of the dominant eye was slightly shifted to the temporal side under mesopic conditions. The correction of myopia in the dominant and nondominant eyes exhibits good safety, efficacy, and predictability in the short term after surgery, and has good subjective visual quality performance after correction. We suggest adjusting the angle kappa percentage in the dominant eye to be lower than that of the nondominant eye in individualized corneal refractive surgery in order to find the ablation center closest to the visual axis.
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Purpose: To define and compare the centration of the ablation effect in LASIK to the corresponding effect in SMILE, in myopic laser vision correction in order to possibly explain the refractive performance differences noted between the two procedures in a contralateral eye study. Setting: Private Ambulatory Eye Surgery Unit. Design: Prospective randomized contralateral eye study. Methods: In 22 consecutive patients (44 eyes), one eye was prospectively randomized to have myopic topography-guided LASIK treatment and the contralateral eye to have SMILE; Digital image analysis of the achieved centration to the aimed corneal vertex was assessed for both procedures on the perioperative Scheimpflug tangential curvature maps, using a proprietary digitized methodology. Results: The radial displacement between the attempted centration on the corneal vertex versus the center of the effective anterior corneal curvature flattening was on average 130 ± 62 μm in the LASIK group and 313 ± 144μm in the SMILE group (P<0.001). Conclusions: In this contralateral eye study, topography-guided myopic LASIK was found to achieve significantly better effective centration compared to myopic SMILE, in regards digitally measured decentration of the effective refractive change achieved in the anterior corneal curvature from the corneal vertex. This may explain the previously reported superior visual outcomes in the LASIK group eyes when compared to the contralateral SMILE group eyes.
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Purpose To evaluate and compare the repeatability and agreement of Scheimpflug vs scanning-slit tomography of the cornea and the anterior chamber in terms of keratometric and tomographic indices in healthy eyes. Methods The 20 eyes of 10 healthy participants underwent 3 consecutive measurements using both Scheimpflug-tomography and scanning-slit tomography, diagnostic devices. Multiple corneal and anterior chamber tomographic parameters were recorded and evaluated to include corneal keratometry and its axis; corneal best-fit sphere (BFS), pachymetry mapping, angle kappa, anterior chamber depth (ACD), pupil diameter, and location. Repeatability for each device was assessed using the within each subject standard deviation of sequential exams, the coefficient variation (CV) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between the two devices was assessed using Bland–Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement (LoA) and correlation coefficient (r). Results Both devices were found to have high repeatability (ICC>0.9) both in keratometric and other tomographic measurements. Scheimpflug tomography’s repeatability though appeared superior in the average keratometry values, anterior and posterior BFS, thinnest corneal pachymetry value and location (p<0.05). Agreement: Statistically significant inter-device differences were noted in the mean values of K1, K2, BFS, ACD and thinnest corneal pachymetry (p<0.05). Despite the agreement differences noted, the two devices were well correlated (r>0.8) in respective measurements with Scheimpflug delivering consistently lower values than the scanning-slit tomography device. Conclusion Scheimpflug-tomography repeatability was found to be superior to that of scanning-slit tomography in this specific study, in most parameters evaluated. Inter-device agreement evaluation suggests that reading from the two devices may not be used interchangeably in absolute values, yet they are well correlated with Scheimpflug delivering consistently lower values in most.
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PurposeTo compare the visual and refractive outcomes between centration on the corneal vertex and the pupil center in corneal refractive surgery.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies. The primary outcomes were the postoperative spherical equivalent (SE), effectiveness [uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) ≥ 20/20, eyes within ± 0.50 diopter (D) of target refraction], and safety [loss ≥ 2 lines of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA)]. Higher-order aberrations were considered secondary outcomes.ResultsSeven studies describing a total of 1964 eyes were included in this meta-analysis. A statistical significance in postoperative SE was found between the two centration methods for the correction of myopia that favor the CV-centered method (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the proportion of eyes with UDVA ≥ 20/20 or loss ≥ 2 lines of CDVA postoperatively. However, the proportion of eyes within ± 0.50 D was slightly higher (p = 0.02) and the coma aberration was much lower in the corneal vertex-centered method (p < 0.001).Conclusion Preferable visual and refractive outcomes could be achieved with either centering on the corneal vertex or pupil center in corneal refractive surgery; however, the corneal vertex-centered method has shown partial benefits in some clinical indices. In order to obtain higher quality of clinical evidences, more randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are required in further investigations.
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Purpose: To analyze the effects of Eye-Tracker performance on the pulse positioning errors during refractive surgery. Methods: A comprehensive model, which directly considers eye movements, including saccades, vestibular, optokinetic, vergence, and miniature, as well as, eye-tracker acquisition rate, eye-tracker latency time, scanner positioning time, laser firing rate, and laser trigger delay have been developed. Results: Eye-tracker acquisition rates below 100 Hz correspond to pulse positioning errors above 1.5 mm. Eye-tracker latency times to about 15 ms correspond to pulse positioning errors of up to 3.5 mm. Scanner positioning times to about 9 ms correspond to pulse positioning errors of up to 2 mm. Laser firing rates faster than eye-tracker acquisition rates basically duplicate pulse-positioning errors. Laser trigger delays to about 300 μs have minor to no impact on pulse-positioning errors. Conclusions: The proposed model can be used for comparison of laser systems used for ablation processes. Due to the pseudo-random nature of eye movements, positioning errors of single pulses are much larger than observed decentrations in the clinical settings. There is no single parameter that ‘alone’ minimizes the positioning error. It is the optimal combination of the several parameters that minimizes the error. The results of this analysis are important to understand the limitations of correcting very irregular ablation patterns.
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"The present research was initiated with two purposes in mind: (a) to determine the speed of seeing in a complex visual task (Exp. I) and (b) to isolate and measure the various components of the total response (initial latency, travel time of the eye, and the response time for interpreting the signal). Results of Exp. I showed that RT increased as the angle from the center line of regard increased. There was no significant difference between pairs of means for right and left sides. It was also found that response time increased as the number of possible signals increased. In Exp. II, the time required for each of the three components of the response increased as the angle increased. Several interpretations of the positive relationship between angle and the time required for S to make his vocal response after his eyes had reached the signal were considered." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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To illustrate the hypothesis that corneal vertex centration is superior to entrance pupil centration when guiding an ablation by wavefront. In one case example of therapeutic retreatment for treatment zone decentration after primary radial keratotomy (RK) centered on the entrance pupil (line of sight), both a whole-eye wavefront-guided ablation profile (WASCA data) and a topography-guided ablation profile (Atlas data) were generated using the CRS-Master (Carl Zeiss Meditec) and compared. The patient had a large vertical angle kappa. Corneal topography demonstrated that the zone of flattening was decentered superiorly with reference to the corneal vertex and the patient reported severe night vision disturbances. The wavefront-guided profile, centered on the line of sight, was symmetrical because the wavefront was dominated by spherical aberration induced by the primary RK treatment. On the other hand, the topography-guided profile, centered on the corneal vertex, was asymmetric with an inferior region of ablation, which would logically improve the topographic decentration. The topography-guided profile was chosen for photorefractive keratectomy using the MEL 80 excimer laser (Carl Zeiss). Ten months after the procedure, the treatment zone was topographically well centered on the corneal vertex. Whole-eye higher order root-mean-square (RMS) was reduced by 43% and corneal higher order RMS was reduced by 61%. The patient reported large subjective improvement in the quality of vision and marked reduction in night vision disturbances. This case provides evidence that wavefront data centered on the entrance pupil center may not represent the patient's view and the treatment zone should preferably be centered on the corneal vertex rather than the entrance pupil center.
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To analyze the induced wavefront aberrations caused by treatment decentration and transition zone after custom myopic laser refractive surgery. Refractive Surgery Center, Tianjin Eye Hospital & Eye Institute, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China. Cohort study. Wavefront aberration data from potential refractive surgery candidates were used. Based on the preoperative wavefront aberrations, the custom ablation profile was computed. Then, the influence of treatment decentration and especially that of the transition zone on induced wavefront aberrations was studied. The impact of angle mismatch on induced aberrations was analyzed. Data from 117 eyes (77 patients) were analyzed. The transition zone played a significant role in the influence of decentration on the induced aberrations in refractive surgery. Induced coma and spherical aberration increased rapidly as the lateral translation increased, and coma was significantly larger than other Zernike aberration terms. The induced aberrations from decentration with oblique incidence in the laser ablation profile were less than in the actual laser ablation process for slight subclinical decentration. The induced aberrations were not closely related to the subclinical unmatched angle from eye cyclotorsion. The induced aberrations from lateral translation were correlated with the position vector. The transition zone was designed to smooth the transition from the optical zone to the untreated cornea, and it mainly dominated induced coma and spherical aberration. To achieve the best postoperative visual performance, the effect of the transition zone in refractive surgery should be taken into account, especially for scotopic pupils. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
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To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intrastromally applied collagen cross-linking (CXL) in a comparative contralateral eye study of topography-guided femtosecond laser-assisted hyperopic LASIK. Thirty-four consecutive patients with hyperopia and hyperopic astigmatism elected to have bilateral topography-guided LASIK and were randomized to receive a single drop of 0.1% sodium phosphate riboflavin solution under the flap followed by 3-minute exposure of 10 mW/cm2 ultraviolet A (UVA) light with the flap realigned in one eye (CXL group) and no intrastromal CXL in the contralateral eye (no CXL group). All eyes were treated with the WaveLight FS200 femtosecond laser and WaveLight EX500 excimer laser (Alcon Laboratories Inc). Refractive error and keratometric, topographic, and tomographic measurements were evaluated over mean follow-up of 23 months. Preoperatively, mean spherical equivalent refraction was +3.15 +/- 1.46 diopters (D) and +3.40 +/- 1.78 D with a mean cylinder of 1.20 +/- 1.18 D and 1.40 +/- 1.80 D and mean uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) (decimal) of 0.1 +/- 0.26 and 0.1 +/-0.25 in the CXL and no CXL groups, respectively. At 2 years postoperatively, mean spherical equivalent refraction was -0.20 +/- 0.56 D and +0.20 +/- 0.40 D with mean cylinder of 0.65 +/- 0.56 D and 0.76 +/- 0.72 D and mean UDVA of 0.95 +/- 0.15 and 0.85 +/- 0.23 in the CXL and no CXL groups, respectively. Eyes with CXL demonstrated a mean regression from treatment of +0.22 +/- 0.31 D, whereas eyes without CXL showed a statistically significant greater regression of +0.72 +/- 0.19 D (P = .0001). Topography-guided hyperopic LASIK with or without intrastromal CXL is safe and effective, with greater long-term efficacy (less regression) in eyes with CXL. Our data suggest that the regression seen with hyperopic LASIK may be related to biomechanical changes in corneal shape over time.
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Background: Myopia (also known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness) is an ocular condition in which the refractive power of the eye is greater than is required, resulting in light from distant objects being focused in front of the retina instead of directly on it. The two most commonly used surgical techniques to permanently correct myopia are photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Objectives: To compare the effectiveness and safety of LASIK and PRK for correction of myopia by examining post-treatment uncorrected visual acuity, refractive outcome, loss of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, pain scores, flap complications in LASIK, subepithelial haze, adverse events, quality of life indices and higher order aberrations. Search methods: We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 11), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to November 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to November 2012), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) (January 1982 to November 2012), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 15 November 2012. We also searched the reference lists of the studies and the Science Citation Index. Selection criteria: We included randomised controlled trials comparing LASIK and PRK for the correction of any degree of myopia. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We summarised data using the odds ratio and mean difference. We combined odds ratios using a random-effects model after testing for heterogeneity. Main results: We included 13 trials (1135 participants, 1923 eyes) in this review. Nine of these trials randomised eyes to treatment, two trials randomised people to treatment and treated both eyes, and two trials randomised people to treatment and treated one eye. None of the paired trials reported an appropriate paired analysis. We considered the overall quality of evidence to be low for most outcomes because of the risk of bias in the included trials. There was evidence that LASIK gives a faster visual recovery than PRK and is a less painful technique. Results at one year after surgery were comparable: most analyses favoured LASIK but they were not statistically significant. Authors' conclusions: LASIK gives a faster visual recovery and is a less painful technique than PRK. The two techniques appear to give similar outcomes one year after surgery. Further trials using contemporary techniques are required to determine whether LASIK and PRK as currently practised are equally safe. Randomising eyes to treatment is an efficient design, but only if analysed properly. In future trials, more efforts could be made to mask the assessment of outcome.
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To describe recent technological additions to the NIDEK CXIII and Quest excimer lasers. A summary article with data from previous published studies outlining the benefits of newer technology. The addition of a 1-kHz infrared eye tracker decreased the spread of laser spot placement from a mean of 228.79 microm without a tracker to 38.47 microm with the eye tracker. The addition of real-time torsion error correction produced a statistically significantly lower cylinder dispersion, mean manifest refractive cylinder, and error of angle postoperatively in eyes that underwent LASIK. The incorporation of an ultrahigh speed eye tracker and active cyclotorsion correction surpasses the minimal technology criteria required for accurate wavefront-based ablations.