Scattered light and glare sensitivity after wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy (WFG-PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (WFG-LASIK)

Purpose: To compare glare sensitivity measured by the intraocular scattered light between WFG-PRK and WFG-LASIK at 12 months follow-up and to assess its correlation to patients' complaints. Patients and methods: Prospective and randomized study on 13 patients treated with WFG-LASIK, 13 patients with WFG-PRK and a control group of 35 patients. The intraocular stray light was measured by the Oculus (R) C-Quant 12 months after surgery and before surgery for the control group. Photopic and mesopic contrast acuity and glare symptoms were reported pre- and postoperatively. Results: Stray light values were normal in 79 % of patients after WFG-LASIK and PRK and 86 % in the control group, with mean values of 1.05 log, 1.03 log, and 0.99 log, respectively (p>0.05). All the patients with significant glare complaints had impaired stray light values versus 31.5 % in the no-complaint group. Photopic and mesopic contrast acuity and glare symptoms were improved 1 year after surgery compared to preoperatively (no significant difference between groups). Conclusion: WFG-LASIK and PRK are safe and equivalent procedures regarding quality of vision. The measurement of stray light can be a discriminative test to assessing patients' glare complaints.