Changes in spherical aberration after various corneal surface ablation techniques

PURPOSE: The corneal change induced by refractive procedures influence both the postoperative refractive status and the ocular spherical aberration (SA). We evaluated changes in corneal SA after three types of surface ablation: phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK), myopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and myopic wavefront-guided laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK).

METHODS: Twenty-six eyes (25 patients) were subjected to PTK 26 eyes (14 patients) to PRK, and 34 eyes (17 patients) to wavefront-guided LASEK. Corneal SA was measured with the iTrace in all patients both preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively.

RESULTS: Six months after surgery, mean corneal SA was -0.173 ± 0.171 µm in the PTK group, 0.672 ± 0.200 µm in the PRK group, and 0.143 ± 0.136 µm in the wavefront-guided LASEK group. The mean difference between the preoperative and postoperative corneal SA (ΔSA) was -0.475 µm in the PTK group, 0.402 µm in the PRK group, and -0.143 µm in the wavefront-guided LASEK group.

CONCLUSIONS: Surgically induced changes in corneal SA vary with procedure. The prediction of the pattern of SA change induced by various surface ablation procedures may be helpful for developing future surgical procedures.