Free Papers

Are Refractive Measures Dependable in Religious Fasting Period in Refractive surgery Candidates?

Free Paper Details

First Author: S.Guven TURKEY

Co Author(s):                        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The evaluation of a refractive surgery candidate prior to surgery is crucial to achieve a desirable outcome. Approximately a quarter of the world population intentionally do not eat or drink between dawn and sunset during the month of Ramadan. The time of Ramadan changes due to lunar calendar. The fasting period could last 17 hours in summer. Hunger and dehydration in this period can alter refractive measures. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of religious fasting on refractive measures.

Setting:

Kayseri City Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Kayseri, Turkey.

Methods:

Spherical equivalent, keratometry (K1, K2), and wavefront of all order aberrations (AOA) and high order aberrations (HOA), linear AAO and HAO, and AOA and HOA for Rx correction were scanned by iDesign Advanced WaveScan Studio (Abbott, USA). Effective blur, high order percentages, polar Zernike coefficients at 4 mm and root mean square errors were also analyzed. Thinnest pachymetry, corneal volume, anterior chamber volume were evaluated by Pentacam HR (Germany). The IOLMaster 500 (Zeiss, Germany) was used to measure the axial length. All measurements were performed at 4 pm during Ramadan fasting and 1 month later during non-fasting period.

Results:

Thirty eyes of 30 healthy volunteers (19 male and 11 female) were analyzed. The mean age was 35.4 years. No significant differences could be found in any analyzed measurements between fasting and non-fasting periods (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

The refractive measures seem not to be altered during religious fasting period. Due to dependable refractive measures, there is no need to postpone the surgery schedules in refractive surgery candidates during their religious fasting period. To best knowledge, this is the first report presenting the effect of religious fasting on refractive measures by Wavefront aberrometer.

Financial Disclosure:

-