Demographics of patients having cataract surgery after laser in situ keratomileusis

Abstract

Purpose: To retrospectively assess the demographics of patients having cataract surgery in eyes with previous laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, and Sanno Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Methods: This study evaluated eyes of consecutive patients scheduled for cataract surgery after previous LASIK (Group 1). The control groups comprised eyes with axial lengths (ALs) matched with ALS in Group 1 (Group 2) and all eyes scheduled for cataract surgery (Group 3). Assessed were age, sex, corrected distance visual acuity, manifest refraction, keratometry (K) readings, corneal astigmatism, and corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs).

Results: Group 1 comprised 40 eyes of 40 patients; Group 2, 606 eyes of 606 patients; and Group 3, 3642 eyes of 3642 patients. The mean age at cataract surgery of patients in Group 1 was 54.6 years ± 8.1 (SD), which was significantly younger than in Group 2 (by approximately 10 years) and Group 3 (by approximately 15 years) (P < .001, Student t test). In Group 1, 70.0% of patients were men, a significantly higher percentage than in Groups 2 and 3 (P < .05, Fisher exact test). The rate of corneal HOAs was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Groups 2 and 3 (P < .05, Student t test). There were no significant differences in other demographics except in K readings.

Conclusion: A long AL and an increase in corneal HOAs might contribute to a tendency for cataract surgery to be performed earlier in eyes in which LASIK has been performed.

Financial disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.