comparison of aberrations after photorefractive keratectomy using tissue saving and personalized techniques

purpose: to compare the effects of standard tissue saving method and personalized techniques of photorefractive keratectomy (prk) on aberration changes in fellow eyes. methods: this randomized controlled trial was performed on patients who were referred to isfahan parsian clinic during 2007. after a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination, prk was randomly performed using tissue saving (ts) technique in one eye and personalized (p) technique in the fellow eye. aberrometry was performed pre- and 6 months postoperatively. results: this study included 296 eyes of 148 (67 male and 81 female) patients with mean age of 29.1±7.0 years. the two groups had no significant difference in terms of laterality, pupil size and level of myopia preoperatively (p=0.65). uncorrected visual acuity was 20/25 or more in 88.9% of the ts group and 92.6% of the p group (p=0.83). mean refractive error 6 months postoperatively was -0.50±0.36 diopter (d) in the ts group and 0.31±0.43 d in the p group (p=0.95). mean root-mean-square (rms) value was -0.41±0.17 preoperatively and 0.86±0.43 postoperatively in the group ts (p<0.01). corresponding figures were 0.47±0.39 and 0.77±0.43 in the p group (p<0.01). the two groups did not differ regarding pre- and postoperative rms. conclusion: postoperative aberrations may be increased with both tissues saving and personalized techniques of prk with no significant difference between them in this regard