Long-term results of hyperopic ablations using alcohol-assisted PRK and FS-LASIK: comparative study.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Corneal Surgery

Background:

• Hyperopic refractive errors can be corrected using excimer laser procedures.
• Alcohol-assisted photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) are surgical options for hyperopia correction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the long-term visual and refractive outcomes of alcohol-assisted PRK versus FS-LASIK for hyperopic correction.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, matched comparative study involving 83 eyes for each procedure (alcohol-assisted PRK and FS-LASIK).
• Patients were followed for at least 3 years post-surgery.
• Key outcome measures included spherical equivalent deviation from target, manifest refraction, and visual acuity.

Main Results:

• Both procedures demonstrated safety and efficacy in treating hyperopia.
• Three years postoperatively, alcohol-assisted PRK showed a trend towards slightly more induced astigmatism (-0.55 D) compared to FS-LASIK (-0.30 D).
• A statistically significant difference was observed in manifest cylinder and difference vector between the two groups, favoring FS-LASIK.

Conclusions:

• Alcohol-assisted PRK and FS-LASIK are safe and effective for hyperopic correction.
• FS-LASIK resulted in less postoperative astigmatism than alcohol-assisted PRK.
• Optimizing ablation profiles and optical zones in PRK may enhance outcomes.