Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy for bilateral hyperopia and hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia in children: one-year outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the refractive, visual acuity, and binocular results of laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) in children with bilateral hyperopia or hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia.


METHODS
Nonhospital surgical facility and hospital clinic, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.


METHODS
This retrospective review comprised children with bilateral hyperopia or hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia who had LASEK. Refractive status, visual acuity, and binocular vision were assessed and recorded 2 months and 1 year postoperatively.


RESULTS
The mean spherical equivalent (SE) in all 72 hyperopic eyes (47 patients) was +3.42 diopters (D) (range 0.00 to +12.50 D) preoperatively and +0.59 D (range -1.25 to +2.00 D) 1 year postoperatively. After LASIK, 41.7% of eyes had improved corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). No patient had reduced CDVA or loss of fusional ability; there was a 25.0% improvement in stereopsis at 1 year. The mean anisometropic difference in the hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia subgroup (18 eyes, 10 patients) was 4.39 D (range +1.75 to +7.75 D) preoperatively and +0.51 D (range 0 to +0.875 D) at 1 year. One year postoperatively, 83% of anisometropic eyes were within +/-1.00 D of the fellow eye and 94.0% were within +/-3.00 D. Postoperatively, 64.7% of eyes had improved CDVA with no reduced CDVA or loss of fusional ability; there was a 22% improvement in stereopsis at 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy improved visual acuity in pediatric hyperopia with or without associated hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia.
Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, 2888 Shaganappi Trail Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T3B 6A8, Canada. william.astle@albertahealthservices.ca
William F
WF
Astle
Peter T
PT
Huang
Ismat
I
Ereifej
Ania
A
Paszuk
D000293:Adolescent; D000550:Amblyopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D049008:Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology