MAY 21, 2010
Refractive Mgmt/Intervention
Researchers performed epi-LASIK with a 1000 Hz excimer laser on 17 consecutive patients (30 eyes). All patients were at least 21 years old, had a pupil size of 6.5 mm or less, and had at least two years of stable manifest refraction showing less than -8.0 D of spherical equivalent (SE) and less than -3.0 D of astigmatism.
Without nomogram adjustments, mean SE increased from -4.36 D preoperatively to -0.05 D six months postoperatively, and mean astigmatism went from -0.70 D -0.16 D. Six months postoperatively, 27 eyes (90 percent) were within 0.50 D of the intended correction and all were within 1.0 D. In 24 eyes (80 percent), the cornea was clear during the entire six-month follow-up and six eyes had trace haze (grade 0.5). There were no intraoperative complications, including holes in the epithelial flap and incomplete or stromal cuts.
The authors concluded that the safety, stability, and efficacy of the 1000 Hz laser were promisingly high.