title: Preoperative characteristics of patients undergoing LASIK in 1997 versus 2004 at one surgical eye center in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the preoperative characteristics of LASIK patients undergoing surgery in 1997 versus 2004 at one of the principal eye surgical centers in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative data of patients who underwent LASIK in 1997 and 2004 were recorded and retrospectively compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 1997, the mean spherical equivalent refraction of the 824 eyes of 428 patients undergoing LASIK surgery was -7.30 +/- 4.65 diopters (D), with a mean patient age of 24.67 +/- 6.76 years. Students represented 45.05% of patients undergoing surgery in 1997. In 2004, the mean spherical equivalent refraction of the 8434 eyes of 4286 patients undergoing LASIK surgery was -6.66 +/- 3.31 D, with a mean patient age of 25.20 +/- 6.59 years. Students represented >50% of patients undergoing surgery in 2004. There were significant differences in the constitution ratio of occupation and the spherical equivalent refractions between 1997 and 2004 (t=-2.712, chi-squared=25.117, respectively, P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At our center in China, the majority of LASIK patients are young and have myopia ranging from -3.00 to -10.00 D. Students were much more likely than any other occupation to undergo LASIK. The number of patients undergoing LASIK at our center in China has increased exponentially from 1997 to 2004, with an average annual increase in surgical volume of approximately 40%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. yabyang@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yabo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chixin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Dougherty
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000639:trends; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D009790:Occupations; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies