Clinical Characteristics of Glaucomatous Subjects Treated with Refractive Corneal Ablation Surgery

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed glaucomatous subjects who had a history of refractive corneal ablation surgery (RCAS). METHODS: Sixty-eight glaucomatous subjects who had a history of RCAS and 68 age- and visual field (VF) mean deviation-matched glaucomatous subjects with no history of RCAS were included. Intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), VF, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness determined by optical coherence tomography were assessed. Parameters were compared between patients with and without a history of RCAS. Between-eye comparisons in the same participant (more advanced vs. less-advanced eye, in terms of glaucoma severity) were performed in the RCAS group. RESULTS: With similar levels of glaucoma severity, those with a history of RCAS showed significantly lower baseline IOP and a thinner CCT than the eyes of individuals without a RCAS history (13.6 vs. 18.7 mmHg, 490.5 vs. 551.7 µm, all p < 0.001). However, the extent of IOP reduction after anti-glaucoma medication did not significantly differ between the two groups (17% vs. 24.3%, p = 0.144). In the between-eye comparisons of individual participants in the RCAS group, the more advanced eyes were more myopic than the less-advanced eyes (-1.84 vs. -0.58 diopter, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with a history of RCAS showed a similar level of IOP reduction as eyes without such a history after anti-glaucoma medication. Our finding that the more advanced eyes were more myopic than the less-advanced eyes in the same participant may suggest an association between glaucoma severity and myopic regression.