The effect of pregnancy on refractive parameters following LASIK/PRK

Session Details

Session Title: Moderated Poster Session: Trends in Refractive Surgery

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 1

First Author: : I.Kontari GREECE

Co Author(s): :    A. Kanellopoulos                       

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Pregnancy is often associated with changes in accommodation and refractive errors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the refractive changes in pregnant women who have undergone refractive surgery such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), for myopia and myopic astigmatism correction.

Setting:

LaserVision.gr Clinical and Research Eye Institute, Athens, Greece

Methods:

In this prospective randomized study we studied a total of 62 eyes of 31 patients with bilateral myopia and/or myopic astigmatism, who had undergone LASIK or PRK surgery before becoming pregnant. The following parameters were evaluated perioperatively and during the pregnancy: manifest refraction in terms of residual sphere, cylinder and spherical equivalent (SE), corneal keratometric power readings and central epithelial thickness.

Results:

Twelve months postoperatively the average spherical equivalent was -0.62±0.82D, while the average spherical equivalent during pregnancy was -0.50±0.82D. Three months postoperatively average sphere was 0.25±0.49D and cylinder was -0.47±0.47D, while during pregnancy it was -0.21±0.47 D and -0.58±0.51D, respectively. Average K1 (flat meridian) keratometric values was 39.28±2.51D three months postoperatively and 39.23±2.48D during pregnancy. Average central epithelial thickness was 61.4±5.89μm before pregnancy and 60.38±7.04μm during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

The conclusion that derived from this study is that the visual changes associated with pregnancy in women who have undergone refractive surgery revealed no mention of changes in refractive error.

Financial Disclosure:

None