Comparison of 2 wavefront-guided excimer lasers for myopic laser in situ keratomileusis: one-year results.

PURPOSE To compare laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) outcomes between 2 wavefront-guided excimer laser systems in the treatment of myopia. SETTING University eye clinic, Palo Alto, California, USA. DESIGN Prospective comparative case series. METHODS One eye of patients was treated with the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q system (small-spot scanning laser) and the fellow eye with the Visx Star Customvue S4 IR system (variable-spot scanning laser). Evaluations included measurement of uncorrected visual acuity, corrected visual acuity, and wavefront aberrometry. RESULTS One hundred eyes (50 patients) were treated. The mean preoperative spherical equivalent (SE) refraction was -3.89 diopters (D) ± 1.67 (SD) and -4.18 ± 1.73 D in the small-spot scanning laser group and variable-spot scanning laser group, respectively. There were no significant differences in preoperative higher-order aberrations (HOAs) between the groups. Twelve months postoperatively, all eyes in the small-spot scanning laser group and 92% in the variable-spot scanning laser group were within ±0.50 D of the intended correction (P = .04). At that time, the small-spot scanning laser group had significantly less spherical aberration (0.12 versus 0.15) (P = .04) and significantly less mean total higher-order root mean square (0.33 μm versus 0.40 μm) (P = .01). Subjectively, patients reported that the clarity of night and day vision was significantly better in the eye treated with the small-spot scanning laser. CONCLUSIONS The predictability and self-reported clarity of vision of wavefront-guided LASIK were better with the small-spot scanning laser. Eyes treated with the small-spot scanning laser had significantly fewer HOAs.