Clinical Result of Wavefront-guided Corneal Ablation: LASIK vs. LASEK

Purpose: To evaluate the 6-month refractive outcomes of wavefront-guided myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) versus laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). Methods: This observational case study comprised 35 eyes of 18 patients in the wavefront-guided LASIK group and 27 eyes of 14 patients in the LASEK group. Preoperative and postoperative wavefront analysis was performed with the Hartmann-Shack based Wavescan? aberrometer (VISX, Santa Clara, CA) and corneal ablation was performed using STAR S4 excimer laser ablation. The efficacy, predictability and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) were evaluated. Results: Six months after surgery, the mean logMAR UCVA was -0.16 and -0.15. The mean postoperative spherical equivalent was -0.000.18D and -0.010.14D. The predictability was 97% and 100%. The efficacy index was 1.40 and 1.39 in the LASIK and LASEK groups, respectively. In comparison of HOA, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups except for the trefoil aberration. Vector analysis showed no difference of the coma aberration in the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in subjective satisfaction. Conclusions: Both wavefront-guided LASIK and LASEK are effective and predictable for correction of myopic astigmatism. Comparing LASIK and LASEK, there were no significant differences in the change of HOAs except for trefoil.