One-Year Outcomes From a Prospective, Randomized, Eye-to-Eye Comparison of Wavefront-Guided and Wavefront-Optimized...

To compare wavefront-guided (WFG) and wavefront-optimized (WFO) photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in patients with myopia using objective and self-reported quality of vision outcomes.

A total of 40 eyes from 20 participants were prospectively randomized to receive WFG or WFO PRK with the WaveLight Allegretto Eye-Q 400-Hz excimer laser (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX). The primary outcome measured was uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) at 12 months postoperatively. Secondary outcome measures included corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), less than 5% and less than 25% contrast visual acuity, changes in higher order aberrations (HOAs), and self-reported quality of vision. Patients completed a validated, Rasch-tested, linear-scaled 30-item questionnaire assessing the quality of vision and visual symptoms preoperatively and at each visit.

There was no statistically significant difference (P > .05) between the WFG and WFO groups in the frequency of attaining a refractive error within ±0.25 diopters of emmetropia, achieving postoperative UDVA of 20/16 or better or 20/20 or better, losing one or two or more lines or maintaining their preoperative CDVA, or differences in UDVA, CDVA, low contrast acuity, or HOAs. None of the measured quality of vision parameters exhibited statistically significant differences between the groups preoperatively or at 12 months postoperatively (all P > .05). The WFG and WFO groups each showed significant improvement in multiple subjective measures compared to pretreatment values in the same eye. A total of 12.5% of patients preferred their WFG PRK eye, 31.25% preferred their WFO PRK eye, and 56.25% had no preference at 12 months postoperatively.

WFG and WFO PRK using the Alcon Wave-Light Allegretto Eye-Q 400-Hz excimer laser platform provide similar results and self-reported visual symptoms in myopic eyes at 12 months postoperatively. [J Refract Surg. 2020;36(3):160-168.].