Predictors of Visual Acuity Improvement in Patients With Amblyopia Following Laser Vision Correction Surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Vision Science

Background:

• Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' affects visual development and can persist into adulthood.
• Laser vision correction offers potential visual acuity improvement for amblyopic patients.
• Predicting surgical outcomes in amblyopia is crucial for patient selection and counseling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors predicting a two-line (0.2 logMAR) improvement in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) after laser vision correction.
• To analyze predictors for patients with amblyopia undergoing LASIK or PRK.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 1,007 amblyopic patients undergoing primary LASIK or PRK (2013-2024).
• Inclusion criteria: age >18, stable refraction, myopia ≤-12.00 D, hyperopia ≤+6.00 D, cylinder ≤6.00 D.
• Binary logistic regression analyzed predictors of ≥2-line CDVA improvement.

Main Results:

• 22.8% of patients achieved a two-line CDVA improvement.
• Predictors included younger age (OR 0.96/year), male gender (OR 1.38), and worse preoperative CDVA (OR 1.67/0.1 logMAR).
• Higher preoperative cylinder was inversely associated with improvement (OR 0.88/diopter).

Conclusions:

• Younger age, male gender, worse preoperative CDVA, and lower cylinder predict significant visual acuity gains.
• These factors aid in preoperative counseling and managing patient expectations for laser vision correction in amblyopia.