Unilateral refractive keratotomy for anisometropia

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery

Background:

• Anisometropia, a significant refractive error asymmetry, causes aniseikonia (image size disparity), leading to visual discomfort, particularly when exceeding 3.00 diopters.
• This study addresses the visual challenges posed by anisometropia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of unilateral radial and/or transverse keratotomy in correcting anisometropia.
• To assess the impact of keratotomy on refractive error, visual acuity, and binocular vision functions.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 20 patients (20 eyes) aged 18-61 undergoing unilateral keratotomy.
• Follow-up of at least 12 months assessed changes in spherical/cylindrical refraction, interocular refractive difference, spectacle-corrected visual acuity, and binocular vision.

Main Results:

• Significant mean decreases in spherical (3.66 D) and astigmatic (2.08 D) refractive errors.
• Mean interocular refractive difference reduced from 4.90 D to 1.79 D.
• Improved spectacle-corrected visual acuity in 35% of patients, with all reporting relief from asthenopic complaints; enhanced fusion amplitudes and stereoscopic vision were also observed.

Conclusions:

• Monocular refractive keratotomy is an effective surgical option for significantly decreasing anisometropia.
• The procedure leads to substantial improvements in visual function and patient comfort.