Treatment of mixed astigmatism: early clinical outcomes withWaveLight and Technolas excimer lasers.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We aimed to compare the results of WaveLight Allegretto Wave Eye-Q 400 Hz and Technolas 217z100 excimer lasers in the treatment of mixed astigmatism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients who underwent laser in situ keratomileusis for mixed astigmatism were included in this retrospective study. Twenty-eight eyes of 21 patients were treated with WaveLight and 46 eyes of 28 patients were treated with the Technolas excimer laser. The patients' visual acuities and refractive values were evaluated on postoperative day 1 and at 1 and 3 months.

RESULTS: In the WaveLight and Technolas groups, cylindrical refractive errors at month 3 were -0.92 ± 0.28 D and -0.88 ± 0.46 D, respectively. Spherical equivalent values for the groups at month 3 were -0.38 ± 0.73 D and -0.33 ± 0.20 D, respectively. There was no significant difference in postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity at month 3 between the two groups (P = 0.671). At postoperative month 3, 70% of patients treated with WaveLight and 100% of patients treated with Technolas had an uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/25 or better (P = 0.211).

CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in refraction and visual acuity between the WaveLight and Technolas groups during a 3-month follow-up period after laser in situ keratomileusis for mixed astigmatism.