title: Visual and refractive outcomes following myopic laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy with a flying-spot excimer laser.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the visual and refractive outcomes following laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) surgery with a flying-spot excimer laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Private practice, Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, the mean manifest spherical equivalent (SE), sphere, and cylinder were measured preoperatively. All eyes had LASEK surgery with an aberration-free algorithm with the Schwind Amaris excimer laser. Outcomes measured at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), manifest refraction, corrected distance visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, aberrometry, and complications. Accuracy, efficacy, and safety were evaluated at 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperatively, the mean SE, sphere, and cylinder in the 80 eyes (48 patients) were -3.58 diopters (D) ± 2.00 (SD), -3.23 ± 1.93 D, and -0.85 ± 0.65 D, respectively. One year postoperatively, the mean SE was -0.00 ± 0.22 D; 57 eyes (71%) were within -0.13 to +0.13 D of the SE, and 71 eyes (98%) were within ±0.50 D. The mean UDVA was -0.06 ± 0.07 logMAR, with an efficacy index of 1.04. The postoperative SE was stable between 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year. One eye (1%) had a change in SE by more than 0.50 D at 6 months and 1 year. There were no statistically significant differences in any aberrations at 1 year. The contrast sensitivity improved from 1.66 ± 0.17 log units preoperatively to 1.72 ± 0.15 log units at 1 month postoperatively (P=.0003), which was unchanged at 6 months and 1 year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated the effectiveness of LASEK for the treatment of myopia with this flying-spot excimer laser.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Colm
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McAlinden
authors.forename: Eirini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skiadaresi
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D057128:Aberrometry; D000328:Adult; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D057108:Corneal Wavefront Aberration / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D049008:Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult