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Corneal optical aberrations induced by photorefractive keratectomy
K M Oliver1, R P Hemenger, M C Corbett
1Dept. of Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Summary
Photorefractive keratectomy significantly increases corneal aberrations, reducing visual performance, especially with large pupils. Using a 6-mm ablation zone minimizes these induced aberrations compared to smaller zones.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Optometry
- Corneal Surgery
Background:
- Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) significantly alters anterior corneal topography.
- These topographical changes are expected to induce substantial changes in the eye's optical aberrations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different ablation zone sizes in PRK on corneal aberrations.
- To compare the induced optical aberrations and modulation transfer functions (MTFs) following PRK with varying ablation zones.
Main Methods:
- Fifty patients underwent PRK for 6-diopter myopia correction using either a 5-mm or 6-mm single ablation zone, or a multizone approach.
- Corneal aberration coefficients were estimated from topographic data before and one year after PRK.
- Modulation transfer functions were derived from aberration coefficients to assess visual performance.
Main Results:
- PRK significantly increased corneal spherical aberrations and coma-like aberrations (p < 0.001).
- The 6-mm ablation zone resulted in the smallest increase in spherical aberration compared to 5-mm and multizone treatments.
- Corneal MTFs were significantly reduced post-PRK, particularly for large pupils and spatial frequencies between 2-15 cycles/degree.
Conclusions:
- PRK leads to a significant reduction in visual performance, predictable by corneal modulation transfer function calculations.
- The largest ablation zone (6 mm) minimizes induced optical aberrations following PRK, suggesting it may offer better visual outcomes.
