Multizone LASIK with peripheral near zone for correction of presbyopia in myopic and hyperopic eyes: 1-year results

To investigate the refractive outcomes of multifocal LASIK to create a center far, peripheral near zone in presbyopes.

This prospective study using LASIK with a center far, peripheral near ablation algorithm comprised 68 eyes of 34 hyperopes and 78 eyes of 39 myopes. Mean patient age was 49 +/- 5.60 years for hyperopes and 46.0 +/- 3.80 years for myopes. Mean baseline manifest refraction spherical equivalent was +1.76 +/- 0.96 diopters (D) in hyperopes and -3.06 +/- 1.73 D in myopes. The mean baseline addition was +1.94 +/- 0.40 D in hyperopes and +1.67 +/- 0.44 D in myopes. One-year postoperative outcomes are reported.

The mean postoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -0.10 +/- 0.55 D in hyperopes and -0.48 +/- 0.51 D in myopes. Two percent of eyes in each group lost two lines of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity. With the distance correction in place, 20/40 or better near uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) (Sloan acuity) was achieved in 33% of hyperopes and 36% of myopes. A statistically significant difference was noted in postoperative near visual acuity measured by the Sloan and Rosenbaum charts (P < .05). Fifty-four percent of hyperopes and 48% of myopes were satisfied or very satisfied with their postoperative near UCVA.

Multifocal LASIK to create a center far and peripheral near zone is safe and allows half of the patients to achieve spectacle independence. A peripheral near zone was only created in myopic treatments.