Reversal of Myopic Correction for Patients Intolerant to LASIK

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of the reversal of myopia correction in patients intolerant to LASIK. METHODS: This study is a retrospective and case series of patients who decided to reverse their previous myopic LASIK correction between July 2012 and July 2020. It was conducted at a private refractive surgery centre, Ismailia, Egypt. The patients were followed up after reversal treatment for one year. Primary LASIK and reversal treatment were performed by a 500 kHz Amaris excimer laser platform. The main outcomes included refractive predictability, stability, efficacy, and safety and any reported complications. RESULTS: This study included 48 eyes of 24 patients (6 male and 18 female patients). The average duration between the primary LASIK surgery and reversal treatment was 3.20 ± 0.30 months (range 3 to 4 months). Reversal treatment was bilateral in all patients. The mean age of the patients was 38 ± 1.9 years (range 37 to 45 yrs). After reversal, the mean postreversal cycloplegic refraction spherical equivalent was −1.82 ± 0.34 D (range −1.50 to −3.00 D). The mean ablation depth was 34.10 ± 7.36 μm (range 20 to 46 μm), and the mean of the central corneal thickness 12 months after reversal treatment was 510.2 ± 14.4 μm (range 515 to 487 μm). The mean keratometric reading was 42.6 ± 1.6 (range 42.5 to 44.8). The mean of CDVA was 0.2 ± 0.03 log MAR (range −0.10 to 0.4 log MAR). The mean optical zone of reversal treatment was 6.1 ± 0.3 mm (range 5.9 to 6.2 mm). UDVA was 0.4 log MAR in 87.5% of the patients, 0.5 log MAR in 8.3% of the patients, and 0.6 log MAR in 4.2% of the patients. CDVA remained unchanged in 83.3% of patients; 2.1% of the patients gained one line of CDVA (Snellen); 8.3% of the patients lost one line of CDVA; 6.3% of the patients lost two lines of CDVA. No cases of corneal ectasia were recorded. The only postoperative complications were flap microfolds in 3 eyes (6.25%). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study demonstrates that reversal of myopic LASIK treatment is a safe, stable, and effective option for intolerant patients.