Changes in wavefront aberration with pharmaceutical dilating agents.
OBJECTIVE
Finding the best way to capture the wavefronts of small pupils for refractive surgery has become a more pressing issue as the general population ages. This study explores whether pharmaceutical dilation impacts wavefront measurement and pupil centroid.


METHODS
Baseline measurements were performed on 32 eyes using the VISX WaveScan Wavefront system. Pupils were dark adapted. One drop of 0.05% tropicamide was placed in each eye, and wavefront measurements were conducted at 10, 20, and 30 minutes. One drop each of 0.5% tropicamide and 2.5% phenylephrine were administered after the measurements. Wavefronts were captured again 30 minutes after the last eye drop. All patients returned for repeated procedures. Wavefront analysis was performed using the same pupillary area as the smallest capture from the same visit. Pupil center shift was taken into account.


RESULTS
Mean patient age was 40 +/- 12 years (range: 20 to 59 years). Mean dark-adapted pupil was 6.40 +/- 1.17 mm. Pupil centers shifted randomly after pharmacological dilation compared to the dark-adapted condition. Pupil centers of 45% of the population shifted by > or = 0.2 mm. Repeatability coefficients were established for the wavefront measurements. After controlling for pupil diameter and pupil center, total high order aberrations root-mean-square (RMS) had changed significantly in 18% of the population. The diluted tropicamide formula, which caused less dilation effect, also induced less high order aberration RMS change.


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmaceutical dilation agents cause random shifts of the pupil centroid from the dark-adapted pupil condition and could induce changes in wavefront measurements. Caution is required when resorting to dilation to obtain a wavefront measurement of smaller pupils.
Tuan
K Ashley
KA
VISX Incorporated, Santa Clara, CA, USA. tuan_ashley@amo-inc.com
Somani
Seema
S
Chernyak
Dimitri A
DA
D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003623:Dark Adaptation; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009184:Mydriatics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014331:Tropicamide / Q000008:administration & dosage
D004338:Drug Combinations; D009184:Mydriatics; D010656:Phenylephrine; D014331:Tropicamide