Influence of intraocular astigmatism on the correction of myopic astigmatism by laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy.

PURPOSE:To assess the influence of the origin of astigmatism on the correction of myopic astigmatism by laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK). SETTING:Ophthalmology Department, Eye and ENT Hospital, Shanghai, China. DESIGN:Prospective study. METHODS:Patients having LASEK to correct myopia or myopic astigmatism were divided into 2 groups according to their ocular residual astigmatism (ORA). Patients were examined preoperatively and 1 and 3 months postoperatively. The efficacy of LASEK was compared between those with and those without a significant amount of intraocular astigmatism. RESULTS:The study comprised 54 eyes of 54 patients. The mean index of success (ratio of magnitude of remaining uncorrected astigmatism to that of initial preoperative astigmatism) in the high ORA group (n=21) and low ORA group (n=33) was 0.85 and 0.48, respectively, 1 month after surgery (t=2.17, P=.04) and 0.88 and 0.32, respectively, 3 months after surgery (t=2.18, P=.04). The Zernike coefficient of horizontal coma, Z(3,+1), increased more after surgery in the high ORA group than in the low ORA group (1 month versus preoperative, t=2.32, P=.024; 3 months versus preoperative, t=2.07, P=.048). CONCLUSIONS:Nine percent and 2% of the eyes had minimal corneal haze at 1 month and 3 months, respectively. Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy was less effective in correcting myopic astigmatism when astigmatism was mainly located at the internal optics. Horizontal coma increased more after LASEK in patients with higher ORA. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE:No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.