CORRELATION OF PUPIL SIZE, ABLATION ZONE AND GLARE AFTER LASER IN SITU KERATOMILEUSIS USING THE PLANOSCAN EXCIMER LASER SYSTEM

97th DOG Annual Meeting 1999

P62
CORRELATION OF PUPIL SIZE, ABLATION ZONE AND GLARE AFTER LASER IN SITU KERATOMILEUSIS USING THE PLANOSCAN EXCIMER LASER SYSTEM

E.-M. Schnitzler, T. Kohnen, M. Baumeister, G. W. K. Steinkamp

A postoperative complication after corneal refractive surgery is increased glare. One possible cause could be a larger pupil size compared to the ablation zone.

Patients and Methods: In a retrospective study we evaluated the data of 18 patients (33 eyes) aged 24 to 57 years which had undergone laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using the Excimer laser Keracor 217 and the Hansatome keratome. Preoperative refraction ranged between -2,0 and -10,0 diopters (D), astigmatism between 0 and -5,0 D. Pupil size was preoperatively measured with the Colvard pupillometer under scotopic light conditions. Follow-up was in all patients 4 months. We correlated postoperative subjective glare with pupil size and ablation zone (optical zone: 5,3 - 7 mm). In eyes with increased glare additionally topographic examination and "ray tracing" with the corneal topography system C-Scan, Fa. Technomed, was evaluated.

Results: We recognized in 7 eyes of 5 patients (21,2%) increased glare. No clear correlation between glare and pupil size and/or ablation zone could be detected. Two eyes showed topographic decentration of the ablation. In 1 eye interstitial keratitis with a final scarring occurred. One eye was spherically and cylindrically undercorrected. In 3 eyes no other explanation for increased glare than a smaller ablation zone compared to pupil size was observed.

Conclusion: Increased glare after LASIK seems not to be in a clear correlation with pupil size and ablation zone. However, a prospective evaluation including other parameters should be performed.

Universitäts-Augenklinik, Frankfurt

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