Patient satisfaction differs with post-LASIK ocular residual astigmatism levels

Despite there being no statistically significant differences in visual acuity parameters amongst patients undergoing myopic laser-in-situ-keratomileusis (LASIK) with postoperatively high or low ocular residual astigmatism (ORA), there were differences in the subjective satisfaction, according to a study

Patients were grouped by the fraction ORA/ manifest refractive cylinder (MRC; matched and not matched for MRC), ORA magnitude, and corneal astigmatism (CA) magnitude in high ORA eyes.

Patients reported outcomes were analyzed retrospectively 3 to 4 years after undergoing LASIK.

Statistically significant differences in subjective satisfaction and postoperative side effects were reported when grouped by the rate of ORA/MRC not matching for MRC. When matched for MRC treated, the differences appeared less strong.

No statistically significant differences in visual acuity parameters were found.

Reference
Nöthel J, Katz T, Druchkiv V, et al. Effect of Postoperative Ocular Residual Astigmatism (ORA) on Treatment Outcome After Myopic Laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK). Clin Ophthalmol. 2022;16:2079-2092. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S352410. PMID: 35770247; PMCID: PMC9236448.