Wavefront properties of the anterior and posterior corneal surface after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy in myopia

The present study aimed to evaluate the changes of corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK) in patients with myopia. A total of 80 eyes of 80 patients with myopia with or without astigmatism were evaluated. Prior to and 1 year after the surgery, uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity in logMAR were assessed. Wavefront aberrations on the anterior surface of the cornea, as well as the posterior and total cornea, were measured via Pentacam. The HOA of the anterior surface and total values of spherical and coma aberrations increased significantly (P<0.001). However, HOAs of the anterior surface, and posterior and total values of the trefoil were not significantly changed (P=0.442, 0.805 and 0.936, respectively). A significant correlation of the pre-operative mean spherical equivalent refraction (MSER), astigmatism and central corneal ablation depth (CCAD) with the changes in coma aberration (r=0.268, P=0.016; r=0.260, P=0.020; r=0.323, P=0.004, respectively) and HOA (r=0.554, P<0.001; r=0.312, P=0.005; r=0.583, P<0.001, respectively) of the anterior surface of the cornea was determined. Furthermore, a significant correlation of the pre-operative MSER and CCAD with the changes in spherical aberration of the anterior corneal surface (r=0.462, P<0.001; r=0.510, P<0.001, respectively) was obtained. In conclusion, TransPRK offers an effective option for improving visual function in patients with myopia. The anterior corneal HOA, as well as spherical and coma aberrations, were significantly increased post-operatively. The HOA of the posterior cornea was not significantly changed. The change in the trefoil aberration was significantly correlated with pre-operative astigmatism, but the pre- and post-operative values were not significantly different.