Comparison between femtosecond laser-assisted sub-Bowman keratomileusis vs laser subepithelial keratectomy to correct myopia.
OBJECTIVE
To compare femtosecond laser sub-Bowman keratomileusis (FSBK) vs laser subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) to correct myopia.


METHODS
Retrospective, nonrandomized, interventional, comparative case series.


METHODS
Two thousand one hundred and eight eyes were included in the study. We compared 1,072 eyes treated with FSBK vs 1,036 eyes treated with LASEK with or without mitomycin C (MMC). Visual and refractive results were evaluated 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months postoperatively.


RESULTS
Preoperative mean sphere and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) were -3.93 diopters (D) vs -3.87 D (P = .5) and 1.12 vs 1.12 (P = .8) in FSBK and LASEK, respectively. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.92 vs 0.62, 0.98 vs 0.78, 0.96 vs 0.91, and 1.06 vs 1.03 in FSBK and LASEK, respectively, at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months after surgery (P < .01 for all comparisons). Three months postoperatively, BSCVA was 1.13 and 1.10, respectively (P = .001). At that moment, 20 eyes (1.93%) in the LASEK group vs 9 eyes (0.84%) in the FSBK group had lost 2 or more lines of BSCVA. Ten eyes (0.96%) in the LASEK group gained 2 or more lines of BSCVA, whereas 3 eyes (0.28%) in the FSBK group gained 2 lines. Six months postoperatively, only 2 LASEK eyes (0.19%) showed loss of 2 or more lines of BSCVA, compared to 3 FSBK-treated eyes (0.28%).


CONCLUSIONS
Both FSBK and LASEK are safe and effective procedures to correct myopia. Slightly better visual and refractive results were observed in FSBK-treated eyes in a 3-month follow-up.
Vissum Madrid, C/ Santa Hortensia, Madrid, Spain. lbenito@vissum.com
Laura
L
de Benito-Llopis
Miguel A
MA
Teus
Raquel
R
Gil-Cazorla
Pilar
P
Drake
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D049008:Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D016685:Mitomycin