Laser in situ keratomileusis for compound myopic astigmatism using the Meditec MEL 70 G-Scan excimer laser.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the safety, efficacy, predictability, and stability of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in treating patients with myopic astigmatism using the Meditec MEL 70 G-Scan excimer laser.


METHODS
Seventy-four eyes of 42 patients with myopia ranging from -4.50 to -9.88 D and astigmatism ranging from 0.50 to 4.00 D who underwent LASIK with the Meditec MEL 70 G-Scan excimer laser and the Summit Krumeich-Barraquer microkeratome were studied. Patients were followed for 1 year.


RESULTS
Mean baseline spherical equivalent refraction was -7.12 +/- 1.70 D and cylinder was 1.62 +/- 1.72 D. At 12 months, mean postoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -0.49 +/- 0.57 D and mean refractive cylinder was 0.59 +/- 0.32 D. Mean change in spherical equivalent refraction between 1 and 12 months after surgery was -0.09 +/- 0.31 D, toward myopia. At baseline, no eyes had best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) of 20/20 or better, and 65% had 20/40 or better. At 12 months after surgery, 10% of eyes had BSCVA of 20/20 or better and 88% of eyes had 20/40 or better. The unusually low postoperative BSCVA results were thought to be due to amblyopia or existence of a higher percentage of some optical aberrations in this group of eyes. Mean uncorrected visual acuity was -1.38 +/- 0.42 LogMAR units (20/400) at baseline and -0.29 +/- 0.25 LogMAR units (20/40) at the 12-month postoperative examination. No eyes lost two or more lines of spectacle-corrected visual acuity. No vision threatening complications were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
LASIK with the Meditec MEL 70 G-Scan excimer laser appeared to be safe, effective, reasonably predictable, and stable for correction of myopic astigmatism with a spherical component between -4.25 and -8.25 D and a cylindrical component between 0.50 and 4.00 D. However, astigmatism was slightly undercorrected with the algorithm used.
Uçakhan
Omür O
OO
Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. omuru@yahoo.com
D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000601:surgery*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity