Hyperopic laser keratorefractive surgery: Do steep corneas have worse outcomes?

Purpose: To report the visual and refractive outcomes of hyperopic patients undergoing laser keratorefractive surgery in preoperatively steep corneas versus a matched control group.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study. All patients underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) at Care-Vision Laser Centers, Tel-Aviv, Israel, between 1/2000 and 11/2016. Patients were divided into two groups: steep corneas (mean keratometry ≥ 44.00 D) and control group (mean keratometry < 44.00 D). The two study groups were matched by age, gender, sphere and cylinder. Only the right eye of each patient was included. Outcomes included postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), best-corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), safety and efficacy indexes, refractive outcomes and retreatment rates.

Results: Five hundred and two patients were included. Both groups were similar in demographic data, visual acuity and refraction. Postoperatively, the steep corneas group had a significantly higher mean keratometry as compared to the control group (46.52 ± 1.43 D vs 44.58 ± 1.68 D, p < 0.001), K (46.04 ± 1.50 D vs 44.12 ± 1.76 D, p < 0.001) and K (46.99 ± 1.51 D vs 45.03 ± 1.77 D, p < 0.001). Both groups had similar postoperative UDVA and CDVA and achieved a similar final sphere (0.64 ± 0.19 vs 0.54 ± 1.19, p = 0.44) and cylinder (- 0.89 ± 0.59 vs - 0.86 ± 0.72, p = 0.67). Both groups had a similar efficacy index (0.92 ± 0.22 vs 0.90 ± 0.25, p = 0.33) and similar retreatment rates (4.2% vs 3.5%, p = 0.74). None of the patients in either group underwent more than one retreatment throughout the follow-up period.

Conclusions: Hyperopic patients with steep corneas undergoing laser keratorefractive surgery can achieve adequate visual and refractive outcomes, similar to control group.