Intrastromal femtosecond laser presbyopia correction successful

Using the intrastromal femtosecond laser procedure to correct presbyopia has been shown to be successful, in a recent study published in the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

The prospective multicentre, nonrandomized clinical investigation, headed by Dr Mike P. Holzner, Department of Ophthalmology, International Vision Correction Research Centre, University of Heidelberg, Germany, included 63 presbyopic patients with mild hyperopia.

The procedure was performed using a femtosecond laser in the non-dominant eye and conducting near and distance visual acuity tests, slit-lamp examinations, and corneal topography. Follow-up was completed at 1 day, 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-op for each patient.

Median uncorrected distance visual acuity and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) remained stable at 0.1 logMAR and 0.0 logMAR, respectively. Median spherical equivalent changed from +0.63 D before surgery to 0.00 D after surgery.

Preoperatively, median uncorrected near visual acuity was 0.7 logMAR but increased to 0.2 logMAR postoperatively. Eyes gained an average of 4 lines, but a loss of 2 lines of CDVA was seen in 7.1% of eyes.

The procedure demonstrated stable visual outcomes over a one year follow-up. Patient satisfaction was very high at 80%, with short treatment time and corneal surface integrity being major benefits of the procedure.