Abstract
Background:Refractive errors are a form of optical defect affecting more than 2.3 billion people worldwide. As refractive errors are a major contributor of mild to moderate vision impairment, assessment of their relative proportion would be helpful in the strategic planning of health programs.Purpose:To determine the pattern of the relative proportion of types of refractive errors among the adult candidates seeking laser assisted refractive correction in a private clinic setting in Saudi Arabia.Methods:The clinical charts of 687 patients (1374 eyes) with mean age 27.6 ± 7.5 years who desired laser vision correction and underwent a pre-LASIK work-up were reviewed retrospectively. Refractive errors were classified as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) was applied to define refractive errors.Outcome Measures:Distribution percentage of different types of refractive errors; myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.Results:The mean spherical equivalent for 1374 eyes was -3.11 ± 2.88 D. Of the total 1374 eyes, 91.8% (n = 1262) eyes had myopia, 4.7% (n = 65) eyes had hyperopia and 3.4% (n = 47) had emmetropia with astigmatism. Distribution percentage of astigmatism (cylinder error of ≥ 0.50 D) was 78.5% (1078/1374 eyes); of which % 69.1% (994/1374) had low to moderate astigmatism and 9.4% (129/1374) had high astigmatism.Conclusion and Relevance:Of the adult candidates seeking laser refractive correction in a private setting in Saudi Arabia, myopia represented greatest burden with more than 90% myopic eyes, compared to hyperopia in nearly 5% eyes. Astigmatism was present in more than 78% eyes.
Highlights
Refractive errors refer to a form of optical defect in which the optical system is unable to focus parallel rays of light1874-3641/18 2018 Bentham Open54 The Open Ophthalmology Journal, 2018, Volume 12Talal A
Refractive errors were classified as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism
Distribution of myopia, hyperopia and emmetropia with astigmatism is presented for different populations i.e. overall, male/female and age up to/above 40 years. (Table 1)
Summary
Refractive errors refer to a form of optical defect in which the optical system is unable to focus parallel rays of light1874-3641/18 2018 Bentham Open54 The Open Ophthalmology Journal, 2018, Volume 12Talal A. Refractive errors refer to a form of optical defect in which the optical system is unable to focus parallel rays of light. The most common types of refractive errors include myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. The global magnitude of refractive errors is not reliably reported but it is estimated that more than 2.3 billion people worldwide are affected by this ocular condition [4]. Impaired vision resulting from uncorrected refractive errors is recognized as a significant health concern worldwide [5]. Refractive errors are a form of optical defect affecting more than 2.3 billion people worldwide. As refractive errors are a major contributor of mild to moderate vision impairment, assessment of their relative proportion would be helpful in the strategic planning of health programs.
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