Comparison of Iris-Claw Phakic Lens Implant versus Corneal Laser Techniques in High Myopia: A Five-Year Follow-Up Study

Background. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of Femto-LASIK, PRK, and Artiflex/Artisan phakic lens implantation in the surgical correction of myopia at different moments of postoperative follow-up; to propose a linear predictive model of visual acuity without correction at five years of refractive procedures; and to evaluate its validity. Methods. A retrospective observational analysis was performed. Patients were clinically reviewed after three months, one year, two years, and five years. Univariate and bivariate analyses and a multivariate linear regression model were performed. Results. Six hundred seventy-nine eyes were analyzed: 18.9% Artiflex, 2.8% Artisan, 42.3% Femto-LASIK, and 36.1% PRK. There were significant differences in effectiveness and safety after five years when comparing Artiflex/Artisan versus PRK and Femto-LASIK (p < 0.01). The linear regression model explained 30.32% of the patients’ visual acuity variability after five years. Conclusions. PRK surgery, Femto-Lasik, and Artiflex/Artisan type phakic lens implantation are effective, safe, and predictable techniques with stable refractive results. Phakic lenses magnify myopic patients who improve their UCVA and BCVA. Concerning phakic lens implantation, corneal endothelial cells remain stable. The predictive model calculated that surgery with a phakic lens increased the UCVA result at five years, and surgery with PRK slightly decreased the long-term results.