Effect of expanding the treatment zone of the Nidek EC-5000 laser on laser in situ keratomileusis outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of expanding the treatment zone of the Nidek EC-5000 laser on postoperative visual acuity as well as night glare and halos after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using 4 ablation zone diameters.


METHODS
Division of Ophthalmology, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Northwestern University Medical School, Glenview, Illinois, USA.


METHODS
This prospective study comprised 301 eyes of 154 consecutive patients who had LASIK in 1 or both eyes using the Nidek EC-5000 laser by 1 surgeon with experience in keratomileusis and excimer laser refractive surgery. A 6.5 mm optical zone was used with a transition zone 1.0 mm larger than the pupil under scotopic conditions (7.5, 8.0, 8.5, or 9.0 mm). Targeted correction was calculated according to a customized clinical nomogram. All patients were queried about glare and halos preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively using a questionnaire assigning numeric values to the degree of perceived visual disturbance (0 = no glare or halos, 1 = minimal, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe).


RESULTS
The baseline uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 20/200 or worse in 293 eyes. The baseline best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 20/20 or better. The mean preoperative refractive sphere was -6.33 diopters (D) +/- 2.80 (SD) (range -1.00 to -16.25 D) and the mean preoperative refractive cylinder, 0.86 +/- 0.83 D (range 0 to +3.25 D). Three months postoperatively, 78% of eyes had a UCVA of 20/20 and 99%, of 20/40 or better. Preoperatively, 94 eyes (31%) had glare and halos. At 3 months, glare, halos, or both were present in 19 eyes of 11 patients (6.3%) (P<.0001); in 14 eyes, patients reported less severe glare and halos postoperatively than preoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of a peripheral transition zone 1.0 mm larger than the pupil under scotopic conditions resulted in a low incidence of glare and halos postoperatively and did not adversely affect visual acuity. There was no increase in postoperative complications including corneal ectasia.
Macsai
Marian S
MS
Division of Ophthalmology, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. mmacsai@enh.org
Stubbe
Karen
K
Beck
Adam P
AP
Ravage
Zac B
ZB
D000328:Adult; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery; D019466:Glare; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007834:Lasers; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011680:Pupil; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014792:Visual Acuity