LASIK with high-repetition rate excimer laser found safe, predictable

This large retrospective study found that LASIK using a high repetition-rate excimer laser yielded excellent visual and refractive outcomes for a wide range of myopic patients.

The authors examined the results of the use of the Schwind Amaris excimer laser, which has a 500 Hz pulse rate and a 1050 Hz eye-tracking system, in 5,191 myopic patients. The mean patient age was 33.9 years. The mean preoperative manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) was ‑5.02 ± 2.17 D (range ‑2.75 to ‑11.50 D).

Three months postoperatively, 82 percent of patients achieved a UDVA of ‑0.18 logMAR or better, and 96.9 percent achieved 0.00 logMAR or better. Twelve percent of eyes lost one or two lines or more of CDVA, although since the preoperative CDVA was especially high in this cohort, 98.8 percent of eyes that lost lines still maintained a safe CDVA of 0.00 logMAR or better.

The MRSE was within ± 0.50 D of the intended refractive target in 88.4 percent of eyes and within ± 1.00 D in 98.8 percent. Despite using a profile designed to minimize postoperative aberrations, postoperative corneal and ocular higher order aberrations increased.

The authors recommend longer-term follow-up to confirm these findings.