Effect of trabeculectomy on ocular and corneal higher order aberrations

• Published in: Japanese journal of ophthalmology 2011-09, Vol.55 (5), p.460-466
• Main Authors: Fukuoka, Shima, Amano, Shiro, Honda, Norihiko, Mimura, Tatsuya, Usui, Tomohiko, Araie, Makoto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alkylating Agents - administration & dosage; Clinical Investigation; Combined Modality Therapy; Cornea - physiopathology; Corneal Topography; Corneal Wavefront Aberration - etiology; Corneal Wavefront Aberration - physiopathology; Female; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - surgery; Humans; Intraocular Pressure - physiology; Low Tension Glaucoma - surgery; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Mitomycin - administration & dosage; Ophthalmology; Surgical Flaps; Time Factors; Trabeculectomy - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0021-5155; 1613-2246
• DOI: 10.1007/s10384-011-0063-x

Purpose To examine the effect of trabeculectomy on ocular and corneal higher order wavefront aberrations. Methods Trabeculectomy with a limbal-based conjunctival flap was performed in 13 patients (13 eyes). Ocular and corneal higher order aberrations were measured using a wavefront analyzer before and after surgery. The higher order aberrations for a 4-mm pupil diameter were expanded into Zernike’s polynomials. Coma aberration, spherical aberration, and total higher order aberrations were evaluated as root mean square values. Results Mean intraocular pressure was significantly reduced from 15.5 ± 3.1 mmHg preoperatively to 7.5 ± 3.5 and 7.2 ± 4.4 mmHg at 1 and 3 months after surgery, respectively. The mean spherical equivalent refractive error was not changed by the surgery. Mean vector powers for surgically induced refractive changes at 1 and 3 months postoperatively were 1.29 ± 0.69 and 1.30 ± 0.89 diopters, respectively. Corneal coma-like, spherical-like, and total higher order aberrations were not significantly changed by surgery. Trabeculectomy significantly increased ocular coma-like ( P = 0.0021) and total ( P = 0.0019) higher-order aberrations at 1 month, but not at 3 months postoperatively. Conclusion Ocular coma-like and total aberrations were significantly increased at 1 month after trabeculectomy with a limbal-based conjunctival flap, but they had returned to normal levels by 3 months.