Investigation of contrast sensitivity following radial keratotomy

Radial keratotomy is a surgical procedure for the correction of myopia in which the cornea is flattened by partial-thickness radial incisions. While postoperative visual acuity is usually good, measurements of acuity are of only limited value and do not describe visual performance for a variety of spatial frequencies and contrasts. In the present study, the effect of radial keratotomy on the contrast-sensitivity function was examined. Six spatial frequencies were tested (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0, 11.4, and 22.8 cycles/degree) using the Nicolet CS 2000 with patients wearing corrective lenses. The results revealed that, at least for the conditions tested, radial keratotomy does not produce a statistically significant decline in contrast sensitivity.