To compare postoperative visual function after implantable collamer lens (ICL; STAAR
Surgical, Nidau, Switzerland) implantation and after wavefront-guided laser in situ
keratomileusis (WFG-LASIK) in eyes with high myopia.
Retrospective, observational case study.
We investigated 46 eyes of 33 patients undergoing ICL implantation and 47 eyes of
29 patients undergoing WFG-LASIK (Technolas217z; Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, New York,
USA) for the correction of high myopia (manifest spherical equivalent < or = -6 diopters).
Ocular higher-order aberrations (HOA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) function were
measured by Hartmann-Shack aberrometry (KR-9000; Topcon, Tokyo, Japan) and a CS unit
(VCTS-6500; Vistech Consultants Inc, Dayton, Ohio, USA) before and 3 months after
surgery, respectively. From the CS, the area under the log CS function (AULCSF) was
calculated.
For a 4-mm pupil, the changes in ocular coma-like aberrations, spherical-like aberrations,
and total HOAs after ICL implantation were significantly less than those after WFG-LASIK
(P < .001, Mann-Whitney U test). The postoperative AULCSF was significantly increased
after ICL implantation (P < .001), whereas after WFG-LASIK, it was significantly decreased
(P < .001).
ICL implantation induces significantly fewer ocular HOAs than WFG-LASIK. Moreover,
CS was improved significantly after ICL implantation, but deteriorated after WFG-LASIK
in eyes with high myopia. Thus, in the correction of high myopia, ICL implantation
seems to be superior in visual performance to WFG-LASIK, suggesting that it may be
a better surgical option for the treatment of such eyes.