Corneal asphericity after hyperopic laser in situ keratomileusis

To analyze corneal asphericity after hyperopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and its relationship to the clinical outcomes.

Corneal and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

In a retrospective case series, 23 patients (33 eyes) with hyperopia or hyperopic astigmatism who had LASIK were evaluated. A computer program (Holladay Diagnostic Summary, EyeSys Laboratories) was used to analyze corneal asphericity (Q) before and after LASIK. Corneal asphericity was evaluated to determine the association with the postoperative refractive error, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), achieved refractive correction, mean corneal power (K), refractive yield (achieved/attempted correction), and keratometric yield (change in keratometry/attempted correction).

After hyperopic LASIK, all corneas exhibited increased negative central Q. The postoperative corneal radius of curvature, BSCVA, and refractive and keratometric yields were not significantly correlated with the preoperative Q values. The asphericity change, Delta Q, was highly correlated with the achieved correction (r = 0.747, P <.0001). The postoperative Q value correlated well with the preoperative value (r = 0.534, P <.05) and the achieved correction (r = 0.601, P <.05) but not with the Delta Q. Neither the postoperative Q nor the Delta Q was correlated with the spherical equivalent, K, BSCVA, or UCVA.

Asphericity may be a useful quantitative descriptor of the corneal optical contour after hyperopic LASIK. Negative central Q increased after hyperopic LASIK, especially when greater degrees of refractive correction were attempted.