title: Axial eye length measurements pre-and post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis using the IOL Master: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A preliminary study in order to test the accuracy of the IOL Master in detecting axial eye length changes after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis and to correlate the findings with the theoretical ablation depth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-and postoperative axial eye length measurements were performed in 10 consecutive eyes that underwent laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis with the Alcon Ladar Vision excimer laser to treat myopic refractive errors ranging from -2.50 to -8.00 diopters of spherical equivalent (mean: -5.23 ± 1.30 D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative axial eye length measurements ranged from 24.53 mm to 27.78 mm (mean: 25.80 ± 1.01 mm) and from 24.57 mm to 27.57 mm (mean: 25.68 ± 0.93 mm) 1 month after the operation. Preoperative and 1-month postoperative data showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IOL Master showed a decrease in the axial eye length measurements that was bigger than the theoretical ablation depth and did not correlate well with it. Such data need to be confirmed by a larger cohort of patients.
authors.affiliation: Athens Eye Hospital, 2nd Eye Clinic, Athens, Greece. spyridon.chalkiadakis@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Spyridon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chalkiadakis
authors.forename: Georgios A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Amariotakis
authors.forename: Efstratios A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Parikakis
authors.forename: Vasileios G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Peponis