Non-contact Holmium:YAG Laser Thermal Keratoplasty for Hyperopia: Two-year Follow-up

Abstract

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the non-contact holmium:YAG laser thermal keratoplasty (LTK) for the treatment of mild to moderate hyperopia without astigmatism. A prospective, non-comparative case series included 50 eyes of 28 patients (aged > or =40 years) who had stable refraction and an astigmatic component < +0.50 diopters (D). We applied the non-contact pulsed holmium:YAG laser to treat the hyperopic spherical component using the Hyperion LTK System. All patients had minimum 12-month follow-up and 64% (18 patients) had 24-month follow-up. The mean age of patients was 48.4 +/- 8.23 years (range: 40 to 62 years). The preoperative hyperopic mean spherical equivalent refraction was +2.32 +/- 0.975 D (range: +1.00 to +4.75 D). Postoperatively, the subjective manifest refraction decreased from the preoperative mean value of +2.32 D to a mean -0.09 D at 1 month after surgery and regressed to +0.315 D at the last follow-up examination, resulting in a mean correction of +2.005 +/- 0.81 D at 24 months after surgery. Preoperatively, mean uncorrected visual acuity in LogMAR units was 0.798 +/- 0.353 and at 12 months after surgery, it was a mean 0.108 +/- 0.136. Keratometric power increased from 42.595 +/- 1.949 D before surgery to 44.605 +/- 1.626 D at 24 months after surgery. Holmium:YAG LTK was an acceptable alternative for the correction of mild to moderate hyperopia in this middle-aged population.