Effects of Cyclotorsion Orientation and Magnitude in Eyes with Compound Myopic Astigmatism on the Compensation Capacity of WaveLight EX500 Photorefractive Keratectomy

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical effects of different orientation and magnitude of cyclotorsion on the compensation capacity of the WaveLight EX500 photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) platform. METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 400 eyes of 200 patients who underwent bilateral simultaneous PRK due to compound myopic astigmatism. The subjects were separated according to the orientation of cyclotorsion into incyclotorsion and excyclotorsion groups, and by the magnitude of cyclotorsion into group 1 (0.50 to 2.50 degrees), group 2 (3.00 to 5.00 degrees), group 3 (5.50 to 7.50 degrees), and group 4 (8.00 to 9.50 degrees). RESULTS: The mean magnitude of cyclotorsion was 3.50 ± 2.4 degrees (0.50 to 9.50 degrees) in the incyclotorsion group and 3.32 ± 2.3 degrees (0.50 to 9.50 degrees) in the excyclotorsion group (p = 0.617). The postoperative refractive outcomes of the incyclotorsion and excyclotorsion groups were similar (p > 0.05 for all). The postoperative mean cylindrical refractive error was −0.32 ± 0.3 diopters (D, −1.25 to 0.00 D) in group 1, −0.47 ± 0.2 D (−2.00 to 0.00 D) in group 2, −0.62 ± 0.2 D (−1.00 to −0.25 D) in group 3, and −0.91 ± 0.2 D (−1.50 to −0.50 D) in group 4 (p < 0.001). Preoperative cylindrical refractive error was positively correlated with magnitude of cyclotorsion (r = 0.125 and p = 0.013), which was also positively correlated with postoperative cylindrical refractive error (r = 0.600 and p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Incyclotorsion and excyclotorsion can be equally compensable in the WaveLight EX500 PRK platform for compound myopic astigmatism. A value of ≤2.50 degrees cyclotorsion magnitude was observed to be more compensable than higher degrees of cyclotorsion magnitude. Preoperative high astigmatism was associated with high cyclotorsion magnitude, which was also associated with a high degree of postoperative astigmatism.